Prajat Halankar stole the spotlight with a steely performance in the men’s singles quarter-finals, overpowering Raju Kundaikar 6-3 to book his place in the semis. Prajat, one of the most consistent performers of the ongoing Bandodkar Panjim Gymkhana Tennis Open 2025, returns to the court late on Thursday for the men’s doubles quarter-finals, partnering with Avadhut Palekar, who previously crushed Joao Mergulhao and Rahul Pinto 6-1 in their pre-quarterfinal.
The men’s singles draw also saw Prince D’Silva edge out Nagesh Naik, emerging victorious 6-4 in a match that could’ve tipped either way.
The men’s doubles also heated up with a dominant display from Prince D’Silva and Punit Fadte, who advanced past Pankaj Naik and Sachin Ambre, while Ganesh Vernekar and Bhalchandra Gaitonde crushed Tanay Amonkar and Manoj Pandey 6-0. Siddharth Nunes and Nagesh Naik also looked sharp in a convincing 6-1 win over Allan Fernandes and James Darbar.
In a commanding performance in the masters 45+ men’s doubles final, Sachin Dukle and Kevin Rebello were flawless, defeating Mano Chhabra and Suraj Pombra 6-0, 6-0 to lift the title with authority.
In the ladies singles, the much-anticipated quarter-final between sisters Tithee Bhoomkar and Bhaavya Bhoomkar unfolded with high emotion and clinical shot-making. Top seed Tithee lived up to her billing, overpowering her younger sibling 6-1. In another match in the same category, Poojal Naik blanked Kimberly Cabral 6-0 in a dominant display and Raisa Menezes held off Aastha Dua 6-4 in one of the tighter matches of the day.
The mixed doubles quarter-finals were packed with surprises and high-octane exchanges. The shocker of the evening came as the formidable pairing of Tithee Bhoomkar and Raju Kundaikar were knocked out in a tight 7-5 duel by siblings Aishwarya Nunes and Siddharth Nunes. Raisa Menezes and Santosh Gorawar combined efficiently to take down Poojal Naik and Pankaj Nanoskar 6-3, while Tanya Shelyazhynska and Arup Angle edged past Tomoyo Fujita and Prajat Halankar 6-4 in a closely contested affair. Asuntha Fleming and Nagesh Naik held their nerve for a 6-3 win over Liza George and Prince D’Silva, completing the semifinal lineup.
In the boys u-18 quarter-finals, the competition was fierce, but Kyan Mavany, Shreyas Patil, Arhan Gaunkar and Punit Fadte all sailed through with dominant performances. Kyan was particularly ruthless in his 6-0 win over Ethan Ataide, while Shreyas continued his solid run by blanking Vedant Naik 6-0.
The boys u-14 category witnessed Arhan Gaunkar’s relentless performance as he effortlessly dispatched Shaurya Verlekar 4-0, 4-0 in the semifinals, setting a benchmark for his peers. Over in the girls u-18 division, Tithee Bhoomkar and Tvisha Sardesai were in brilliant form—Tithee edged past Urvi Panandiker 4-1 in both sets, while Tvisha delivered a perfect display against Bhaavya Bhoomkar, winning both sets 4-0 to cruise into the final showdown.
In boys U-10, Arsh Sardesai and Devaansh Naik will face off in the final after contrasting semi-final wins. Arsh was pushed to the brink in a dramatic 4-1, 1-4, 10-5 victory over Christian Fernandes, while Devaansh breezed past Jai Mehta 4-0, 4-0.
In the girls U-10 semi-finals, Samaira Patil fought through a back-and-forth thriller to advance past Aaliya Metry, while Subhagya Manda edged Myra Borkar in a gritty, hard-fought clash.
From rising stars to seasoned contenders, each match is leaving its mark on the Bandodkar Panjim Gymkhana Tennis Open 2025. With titles on the line in the state ranking tournament, the coming days promise a grandstand finish.
