Anika dazzles with five titles

Sri Lanka’s teenage tennis prodigy AnikaSeneviratne completed a memorable season by winning five titles at the 102nd Junior and Senior National Tennis Championships which concluded at the SLTA Courts in Green Path on Saturday (19).

Anika’s latest triumph came when she clinched the Girls’ Under-16 Singles title followed by the Girls’ Under-16 Doubles title along with her partner and sister Alana Seneviratne.    

In the Under-16 Singles final the top seed pulled off a hard fought straight sets 6-4, 6-4 victory over number eight AnjalikaKurera.    

Anika then combined with her sister Alana and went on to beat the combination of AnjalikaKurera and Sathi Silva 6-3, 6-1 in the Girls’ Under-16 Doubles final encounter. 

Altogether this was a highly successful tournament for Anika who displayed her talent and potential to emerge victorious in five out of the six events which she participated.  

She had to be content with the runner-up place in the Women’s Open Singles tournament while going down to the top seed Medhira Samarasinghe in the final. 

Anika then joined JithmieJayawickrema and went on to win the Women’s Open Doubles while overcoming the pair of AmrithaMuttiah and Medhira Samarasinghe in the final. 

Anika’s second title came in the Mixed Doubles event when she partnered with T. Dineshkanthan to beat the combination of Sankha Athukorala and Medhira Samarasinghe in the final. 

Anika also had the satisfaction of winning the Girls’ Under-18 Singles title when she had the better of fourth seed Anya Gunawardena in the final encounter. 

How Anika Seneviratne fared at the Junior and Senior Tennis Championships:

1: Women’s Open Singles final: 
Anika Seneviratne lost to Medhira Samarasinghe 2-6, 2-6.

2: Women’s Open Doubles final:
Anika Seneviratne and Jithmie Jayawickrema beat Amritha Muttiah and Medhira Samarasinghe 6-1, 6-1.    

3: Mixed Doubles final:
Anika Seneviratne and T. Dineshkanthan beat Sankha Athukorala and Medhira Samarasinghe 6-2, 6-4. 

4: Girls’ Under-18 Singles final:
Anika Seneviratne beat Anya Gunawardena 6-2, 6-1. 

5: Girls’ Under-16 Doubles final: 
Anika Seneviratne and Alana Seneviratne beat Anjalika Kurera and Sathi Silva 6-3, 6-1.  

6: Girls’ Under-16 Singles final: 
Anika Seneviratne beat Anjalika Kurera 6-4, 6-4. 

Anika, Anjalika in race for U16 singles title

By M. Shamil Amit

Top seeded player Anika Seneviratne will be seeking to win her fourth title when she confronts number eight seed Anjalika Kurera in the final of the Under 16 Girl’s final scheduled to be played from 9.30 a.m. today at the SLTA tennis courts in Greenpath, Colombo. 

Anika and Anjalika booked their berths to the final with easy wins in the semi final encounters played yesterday with Anika defeating fourth seeded Senuri Alexander and Anjalika getting the better of second seeded Savini Jayasuriya with identical winning scores of 2-0.

The scale is in favour of Anika who has already come out victorious in the women’s open doubles partnered by Jithnie Jayawickrama, the mixed doubles partnered by Thangaraja Dineshkanthan and the girls under 18 singles title. 

Meanwhile in the wheel chair tennis championship saw D..M. Gamini and R.A.S.L. Ranaweera advancing to the singles final while the pair o f D.S.R. Dharmasena and R.A.S.L. Ranaweera qualified to the wheel doubles final and will meet D.M. Gamini and H.M.L. Senaratne in the final also scheduled to be played today.

However the evening session of proceedings was hampered by rain which forced the officials to abandoned play for the day. These matches will also be continued today from where it was stopped.

Results:
Semi Finals:
Girl’s Under 16 Singles – Anika Seneviratne beat Senuri Alexander 2-0 (6/0, 6/0). Anjalika Kurera beat Savini Jayasuriya 2-0 (6/0, 6/1). 

Wheel Chair Singles – D.M. Gamini beat D.S.R. Dharmasena 2-0 (6/4, 6/0). R.A.S.L. Ranaweera beat H.M.L. Senaratne 2-0 (6/1, 6/4). 
Wheel Chair Doubles – D.S.R. Dharmasena/R.A.S.L. Ranaweera beat W.K.G. Nadeeka/K.G.M. Pradeepkumara 2-0 (6/1, 6/1).

Anika bags her second title 

By M. Shamil Amit

Top seeded Anika Seneviratne recorded a convincing two sets to nil win over Anya Gunawardena in the final of the girls under 18 singles event of the Junior National Tennis Championship played at the SLTA tennis courts in Greenpath, Colombo yesterday.

In the process Anika bagged her second title having earlier partnered Thangaraja Dineshkanthan to clinch the mixed doubles title of the 102nd National Tennis Championship last week.

The in form Anika was too good for her opponent and it turned out to be a one sided affair. Anika is in line of winning another title as she has qualified to the semi finals of the girls under 16 singles which is scheduled to be played today.

In the other finals that were played saw fifth seeded Pesanjith Kannangara lifting the boys under 16 singles title when he defeated the fancied and second seeded Nenuka Jayatileke in the final. 

In the girls event of the same age group saw top seeded pair Oneli Perera and Sethmi Sumanaweera cruising through to victory in the final against Preethika Chandramohan and Ashanthi Seneviratne to clinch the title while Chammika de Silva and Jayendra Wijesekera came out victorious in the over 35 doubles final.

The singles and doubles quarter finals of the wheel chair national tennis championship was also worked off yesterday with the seeded players qualifying to the semi finals which are scheduled to be played today.

Results: 
Finals:
Boy’s U16 Singles – Pesanjith Kannangara beat Nenuka Jayatileke 2-0 (6/3, 6/4). 
Girl’s U18 Singles – Anika Seneviratne beat Anya Gunawardena 2-0 (6/1, 6/2). 
Girl’s U14 Doubles – Oneli Perera/Sethmi Sumanaweera beat Preethika Chandramohan/Ashanthi Seneviratne 2-0 (6/4, 6/2). 
Men’s Over 35 Doubles – Chammika de Silva/Jayendra Wijesekera beat Sam Balasinghe/K.A.R.L. Kuruppuarachchi 2-0 (6/2, 6/2). 
Wheel Chair Tennis Quarter Finals:
Singles - D.M. Gamini beat K.G.M. Premachandra 2-0 (6/1, 6/2). D.S.R. Dharmasena beat W.K.G. Nadeeka 2-0 (6/2, 6/2). H.M.L. Senaratne beat N.R.L. Jayasundara 2-1 (6/3, 3/6, 10/8). R.A.L.S. Ranaweera beat K.M. Karunaratne 2-0 (6/4, 6/2). 
Doubles – D.S.R. Dharmasena/ R.A.L.S. Ranaweera beat K.M.S.P. Perera/D.M.S. Jayashantha 2-1 (6/3, 4/6, 10/2). W.K.G. Nadeeka/K.G.M. Pradeepkumara beat A.M.D. Jayaratne/D.M.S. Jayashantha 2-0 (6/3, 6/2). P.W.S. Paranavithana/W.A.S.P. Weerasinghe beat K.D.M. Dharmaratne/H.A.P. Samankumara 2-1 (6/2, 2/6, 10/3). D.M. Gamini/H.M.L. Senaratne beat N.R.L. Jayasundara/K.M. Karunaratne 2-0 (6/4, 6/3).