Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series | Mann Maulik Shah, Shaikh Humera advance to Paris
India ended the tournament on a positive note as Mann Maulik Shah and Shaikh Humera won their respective final matches to make it to the International Finals of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series. They would be playing the winners from China and Brazil there.
New Delhi, 01 May 2019: Top-seed Mann Maulik Shah and 4th-seed Shaikh Humera booked their tickets for the International Finals of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series to be held in Paris as the two players won their respective Final matches of the India-edition of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild-Card Series 2019 held here today at the clay courts of the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA). Roland-Garros Brand Ambassador Justine Henin, witnessed the action on the Final day of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series, along with Lucas Dubourg, Head of International Development, French Tennis Federation (FFT) and Suman Kapur, Joint Secretary of All India Tennis Association (AITA). It was top-seed Mann Maulik Shah who won the Final match in the Boys category as the boy from Gujarat defeated 4th-seed Madhwin Kamath in straight sets 7-6(1), 6-2; while 4th-seed Shaikh Humera came out on top in the Girls category of the competition as she defeated unseeded Sarah Dev 7-5, 6-3 in the Final match.Â
In the Boys’ category, it was a well-crafted 7-6(1) first-set win by Shah in the tie-breaker which made sure that it put pressure on Kamath early on. In the second set, Shah rushed to a comprehensive lead, and did well to maintain it and bag the set 6-2. The youngster showed why he was the No. 1 seed as he kept his calmness and won the match in straight sets, and thus becoming the winner of the competition.
In the 3rd-4th place match, 3rd-seed Kabir Hans was given a walk-over victory against 2nd-seed Dev V Javia.
In the Girls' final, 4th-seed Shaikh Humera continued her fine form in the competition as she defeated unseeded Sarah Dev from Punjab in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. Humera had earlier defeated unseeded Sunskriti Damera (6-3, 7-6(7)), and top-seed Salsa Aher (6-1, Retd) leading up to the Final, and her performance in the final match was proof as to why the talented youngster from Telangana secured her trip to Paris. The first set saw fierce competition between Humera and Dev as the two played some long rallies, but the former bagged it 7-5. However, Humera completely dominated in the second set to take it 6-3, and win the match in straight sets.
The match for the 3rd place saw 2nd-seed Bhakti Shah get a walk-over from top-seed Salsa Aher to finish her campaign on a high.
Roland-Garros Brand Ambassador Ms. Justine Henin, who was also present on the occasion, congratulated the winners on their victory. The four-time winner of the Roland-Garros also spoke on her experience of visiting India, "I am really happy that I was given the opportunity to be the Brand Ambassador of Roland-Garros. I have had the opportunity to win the tournament four times, and clay is something which is very close to my heart so I have enjoyed representing the tournament and sharing my knowledge. It is a unique chance for these young kids to live and experience a dream, and this tournament will help them in making it big at the international level, including the Roland-Garros 2019 Junior Draw. I am really happy to be a part of it, and really happy to come to India. Having played tennis with these kids, and spent time with them, it has been a privilege for me, and I would like to wish them the best in their future endeavours."
Joint Secretary, AITA, Mr. Suman Kapur also spoke on the occasion, "It is a great association that we have had with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) over the course of these five years. Our players from across the country, have been given a perfect platform through Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series, and I hope that they are able to make the most of it by learning from legends like Justine herself."
Head of International Development, FFT, Mr. Lucas Dubourg said, “I would like to thank the AITA for their continued support to the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series. It has been a pleasure to work with them for a fifth year running since 2015. I would also like to thank Justine for coming down to India, to share her experience and knowledge with these young players. My advice to this talented bunch of players is that they have to believe in their dreams, and should believe in themselves to lift the actual Roland-Garros trophy in the future. I would like to wish them all the very best.”Â
Mann Maulik Shah and Shaikh Humera will now get a chance to compete at the International Finals of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series with winners from China and Brazil, where the eventual winners will get the chance to be a part of the Roland-Garros 2019 Junior Draw.
Following are the results:
Boys:
3rd-4th playoff: Kabir Has(3) bt Dev V Javia(2) - Walkover;
Final: Mann Maulik Shah(1) bt Madhwin Kamath(4) 7-6(1), 6-2;
Girls:
3rd-4th playoff: Bhakti Shah(2) bt Salsa Aher(1) - Walkover
Final: Shaikh Humera(4) bt Sarah Dev 7-5, 6-3