Sports
Rethin is defeated in the semifinals by top seed Nikita.

By Kajal Sharma - 25 Jan 2024 12:11 PM
At the DLTA Complex on Friday, top-seeded Nikita Bilozertsev of Ukraine escaped Rethin Pranav's grasp to win the ITF junior tennis competition semifinals 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.For the most of the match, Rethin proved to be a formidable opponent for the fit Nikita, who was highly active on both wings. But in the seventh game of the second set, Rethin faltered a little in serving after performing brilliantly for a set and a half. After that, the odds were stacked against him, and he struggled mightily to keep up with the formidable foe.After losing the first set halfway through, Rethin had picked up his game to turn the tide, especially with his powerful serve. Only Nikita was able to maintain the high caliber of play during the climax.NIkita will face Serbia's third-seeded Ognjen Milic in the championship round. Milic defeated Switzerland's Luc Wieland in five games.Daria Shadchneva was unable to defeat Maria Golovina, the Chandigarh tournament winner, in the girls' division. Maria will play the top-seeded Thai player Lidia Podgorichani in the championship match. Podgorichani defeated American Christasha McNeil in a grueling three-set match.