Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 23: The AITA Championship Series (CS-7), hosted by the Jammu & Kashmir Lawn Tennis Association (JKLTA) under the J&K Sports Council kicked off at the Tennis Complex, MAM Stadium, Jammu. The tournament was inaugurated by B S Jaggi, Honorary Secretary of JKLTA.
In the first round of Boys’ U-18 matches, J&K sweepers dominated intra-state clashes. Saksham Amla delivered a clinical performance, thrashing Arsh Arora by 6-0, 6-0 in a one-sided affair. Simritjit Singh followed the suit, overcoming Vivek Singh by 6-1, 6-3 with steady baseline play. Mayank Gupta completed the shutout trio, blanking Parth Gupta by 6-0, 6-0, signalling the depth of J&K’s junior squad.
The pre-quarterfinals intensified the action, blending local pride with national challenges. Saksham Amla continued his rampage, demolishing Viraj Singh by 6-0, 6-0 to advance convincingly. Naman Tak edged out Nakul Mehra by 6-1, 6-1, while Aarav Singh survived a thriller against Ridham Angral, winning by 7-5, 7-6(2) in a tiebreak decider that captivated spectators. However, outstation players asserted dominance too. Punjab’s Mahijith Kaura crushed Nakul Mehra by 6-1, 6-0; Maharashtra’s Aarya Aatkar ousted Simritjit Singh by 6-1, 6-1 and Delhi’s Simarpreet S Dhodi dispatched Vinamr Gupta by 6-1, 6-0.
These results position three J&K players—Saksham Amla, Naman Tak, and Aarav Singh—in contention for the quarterfinals, highlighting the region’s growing tennis prowess. Amla’s back-to-back bagels underscore his potential as a future star.
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