Thehan Wijemanne and Savini Jayasuriya won their maiden men’s and women’s Open titles respectively at the HNB-Hutch Clay Court Tennis Nationals, that continued at the SLTA Courts in Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha yesterday.
Wijemanne, the schoolboy from Royal College, Colombo rallied around through his experience before overcoming another promising player in Luca Knese in an exciting final encounter.
Wijemanne fought hard to clinch the opening set 6-4 but came under tremendous pressure later as he conceded the second set 3-6 to his opponent.
However, Wijemanne made amends for the early setback and went on to seal the final by recording a more convincing 6-1 win in the third and deciding set.
Meanwhile, Jayasuriya also went through some anxious moments as she dropped the second set 3-6 after having pulled off the opener 6-4 in a thriller.
But the schoolgirl from Gateway College recovered superbly and added the finishing touches by claiming the third and decisive set 6-1.
Results:
Men’s Open singles final: Thehan Wijemanne beat Luca Knese 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
Women’s Open singles final: Savini Jayasuriya beat Janali Manamperi 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.