Three Sri Lankan junior tennis stars – Vichinthaya Nilaweera, Dinara de Silva, and Methvan Wijemanne – have stormed into the semi-finals of the ongoing ITF Junior Circuit Tennis Tournament. The prestigious event, organized by the International Tennis Federation, is currently happening on the clay courts of the SLTA Tennis Association in Colombo.
As the trio proudly keeps the Sri Lankan flag flying high, the much-anticipated semi-finals are set to captivate tennis enthusiasts today, with the tournament scheduled to run until January 28.
Methvan Wijemanne, one of the rising stars, secured his spot in the semi-finals after a formidable three-set battle against Ivan Timofeev from Russia. In a match lasting two hours and 45 minutes, the Royal College player displayed resilience, bouncing back from a first-set defeat of 3-6 to claim the next two sets with a thrilling 6-2 and 6-0, leaving spectators in awe.
Vichinthaya Nilaweera, the star player from Stafford International School, continued his winning streak by defeating Ringi Yang of Hong Kong in the quarter-finals with a straight 2-0 victory. Nilaweera’s dominance was evident as he secured identical scores of 6-3 in both sets.
In the girls’ segment, Dinara de Silva entered the quarterfinal, outplaying Guyan Yuchi of China in a 2-0 victory. While De Silva comfortably won the first set 6-0, she faced a tough challenge in the second set, ultimately clinching it with a narrow 7-6 victory.
Dinara de Silva had earlier advanced to the quarter-final stage by beating Nonoka Shimizu of Japan in a 2-0 victory, with scores of 6-3 and 6-2.
In the second round, Methvan Wijemanne entered quarter-final by beating India’s Yash Panchaxari with a straight 2-0 victory, securing sets of 6-2 and 6-4.
Meanwhile, Vichinthaya Nilaweera faced a intense battle to advance to the quarter-finals, engaging in a hard-fought match with Indian player Roman Kulain. After three sets of intense competition, Nilaweera emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline of 6-4, 4-6, and 6-3.
The Sri Lankan contingent’s stellar performances have captivated local fans. The semi-finals promise more thrilling action as these young talents vie for glory in the ITF Junior Circuit Tennis Tournament today.
Sajeewa Jayakody