Ganuka Fernando from St Peter’s College and Saneshi Willoraarachchi from Musaeus College shone bright at the Bandarawela Tennis Club Ranking Tournament which was worked off from April 14 to 25. These two talented players dominated the courts, claiming multiple titles each.
Ganuka Fernando excelled by clinching victories in the Men’s Singles and Men’s Under-18 Doubles categories. In a thrilling Men’s Open Singles final, he triumphed over Zaidh Zihar with a close scoreline of 7-6, 2-6, 11-9. His journey to the final included a hard-fought win against Lisal Goonethilleke in the semi-finals.
On the other side, Saneshi Willoraarachchi succeeded by sweeping three championship titles. She conquered the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, and the Under-18 Doubles categories. Her victory in the Women’s Singles final against Inuki Jayaweera was an excellent performance.
Not stopping there, Willoraarachchi and Jayaweera joined forces to dominate the Women’s Open Doubles, defeating their opponents in both the semi-finals and the final match. Additionally, they claimed victory in the Under-18 Women’s Doubles category, further cementing their partnership on the court.
The tournament also witnessed outstanding performances from young talents across five age categories. Buvindu Jayawardhana, Nethaya Amarasekara, Damsath Peiris, Annaya Norbet, Methika Wickramasighe, and Yuhansa Peiris all emerged as champions in their respective age groups.
Furthermore, the doubles events saw impressive teamwork from pairs such as Damsath Peiris and Jayan Sebastian, Sahansa Damsiluni and Annaya Norbet, as well as Ganuka Fernando and Lisal Goonethilleke among others.
The Bandarawela Tennis Club Ranking Tournament holds noteworthy importance in the Sri Lanka Tennis Association’s outstations tennis development programme. Under the guidance of SLTA President Iqbal Bin Issack, this event serves as a platform for nurturing young talents and promoting the sport across different age categories.
Rajive, as the Tournament Director, ensured the smooth execution of this 12-day competition, which featured players competing in five age categories: Under-12, Under-14, Under-16, Under-18, and Open categories.
Sajeewa Jayakody