KATHMANDU, MAY 1
Abhishek Bastola and Abhilasha Bista won the titles of the ninth Citizens Bank Open Tennis Tournament here at the National Sports Council courts today.
Bastola defeated Ritik Rana 6-0, 6-1 in the men's singles final, while Bista beat Mahika Rana 6-4, 6-4 to win the women's singles title. Mahesh Shrestha won the above-45 men's singles title with a 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 victory over Rohit Sunuwar, while Jeevan Ghimire beat Jit Pradhan 6-2, 6-3 in the above-55 men's singles final.
Likewise, Chandra Shahi and Degendra Shrestha defeated Sudarshan Bista and Raju Chhetri 5-7, 6-1, 10-5 to win the above-45 men's doubles title, while Krishna Raj Ghale and Subarna Dhakwa won the above-55 men's doubles title with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Kamal Thapa and Chamba Dhondup.
On Sunday, Mahika Rana teamed up with Pradip Khadka to win the mixed doubles title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ritik Rana and Sunira Thapa, while Kamal Bahadur Bhandari defeated Jeetendra Pariyar 7-6(5), 6-1 in the above-35 men's singles final. Kamal Thapa won the above-55 men's singles title with a 4-1, 4-1 victory over Bidur Bista. Likewise, Jeetendra Pariyar and Subarna Dhakwa beat Santosh Khatri and Dawa Sonam Sherpa 2-6, 6-3, 10-4 to win the above-35 men's doubles title.
The event carried a purse of Rs 542,500 and top three players and teams in all events earned cash prizes. A total of 152 players - including 78-year-old Murari Bhakta Mathema - took part in the tournament organised by Kathmandu District Tennis Association under the auspices of Citizens Bank.
NSC Member Secretary Tanka Lal Ghising, Citizens Bank President Rajan Singh Bhandari, Nepal Tennis Association President Jyoti Rana and General Secretary Manohar Das Mool handed over prizes to the winners.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 2, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
