Rukshika Wijesuriya created a major upset be defeating defending champion Anjelika Kurera in the final to clinch the women’s singles crown at the National Tennis Championship played at the SLTA clay courts Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha yesterday.
Rukshika, an unseeded player but a Sri Lanka team member at the recently held Billie Jean King tournament, took the first set with a comprehensive margin of 6/1. But the defending champion and another Sri Lankan player, Anjelika fought back with determination and took the set narrowly 6/7 conceding five points during the tie breaker.
Rukshika settled down to play constructively once again and won the deciding third set on 6/2 to her immense joy of becoming the new women’s champion.
The men’s singles saw another former champion Sharmal Dissanayake go down to Ashen Silva in straight sets. The teenager Silva took the first set on 6/4 after a stiff battle and repeated it in the second set too to become the new champion among the men. It is learnt that Dissanayake has not played competitive tennis for the past two years.
Tennis results: (All finals)
Men’s singles:
Ashen Silva beat Sharmal Dissanayake 6/4, 6/4.
Women’s singles:
Rukshika Wijesuriya beat Anjelika Kurera 6/1, 6/7(5), 6/2.
Men’s doubles:
Yasitha de Silva and Dilvan Herath beat Chathury Dilvan and Thehan Wijemanne 6/4, 6/3.
U-18 doubles: boys:
Upna Perera and Zaidh Zihar beat Thilina Dissanayake and Nithila Goonatillake 6/3, 6/2.