Vishal Uppal wins ITF Masters

Vishal Uppal of Delhi emerged triumphant in the Indian Oil Servo ITF Satellite Masters tennis tournament, scoring a 7-6(11/9), 6-4 victory over sixth seed Vijay Kannan in the final in Bangalore on Friday.

Shrugging off a shaky start, the 25-year-old former Davis Cupper raised his game when it mattered most to defeat Kannan in an hour and 42 minutes at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts.

Indeed, it was a fine run for the unseeded Uppal, who had defeated three seeds on way to claiming the crown.

Uppal pocketed the winner's cheque of $800 and got 31 circuit points for his splendid feat.

Kannan, who really fought hard in the first set before running out of steam in the second, bagged $600 and 23 circuit points.

"I struggled in the first set and Vijay served well. But in the second, I went for each point and did not leave any room for him to come back," Uppal said.

In the opening set, Uppal and Kannan held their serve, though the fifth and seventh games, in particular, were bitterly fought. The tie-break was a nail-biting affair with Uppal winning 11-9.

The second set was one-sided with Uppal raising his game several notches and overwhelming his opponent.

Uppal thus completed a grand double, having won the doubles title partnering Nitin Kirtane on Thursday.

Earlier reports
Vishal Uppal shocks Ghouse to enter final
Vishal Uppal ousts fourth seed Dooyev
Nitin Kirtane crashes out
Mahadevan struggles to get past Vishal Punna