India’s Mascarenhas to make debut in French Gravel Rally
MILLAU (France), Oct 9: Indian rally driver Dean Mascarenhas is set to make his international debut in the French Gravel Rally Championship from October 10 to 12.Mascarenhas of TSI Racing will be driving a Peugeot 208 GT Line in the FRC4 group’s Rally4 class.The Mangaluru driver will be the only Indian in the field, with experienced Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales.Started in 1984, the Rallye Terre des Cardabelles is a round of the French Gravel Rally Championship, with about 150 km of timed competitive stages on gravel roads around Millau.Mascarenhas recently won the Coimbatore round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC). His move to European rallying came through a partnership between TSI Racing, Sidvin Energy Engineering, and MRF Tyres. “ Mascarenhas will compete in car number 66 against 125 other drivers. The event will run over two days across the Aveyron region, with liaison and special stages covering rural and forest sections near Millau. (PTI)
Theegala off to a good start in Baycurrent Classic, lies fourth
YOKOHAMA (Japan), Oct 9: Golfer Sahith Theegala turned in a decent first round of 3-under 68 despite a double bogey at the Fall season event, the Baycurrent Classic on the PGA Tour, here on Thursday.His 68 saw him inside the top five as he set himself up to repair a season hit by a neck injury.Theegala mixed five birdies with one double bogey in conditions that were far from easy.The Indian origin American player began on the tenth and picked birdies on the 13th and the 17th before dropping a double bogey on the 18th, his ninth hole, with a three putt. He turned in even par.Three pars later, he found birdies on the fourth, sixth and the ninth for a 3-under 68 at the Yokohama Country Club, as the venue has shifted this year.Max Greyserman fired an opening-round 67 to share the early lead. The tee times were brought forward to avoid the potential impacts of a typhoon.Greyserman was three under at the turn, then sank a 40-foot birdie putt on the 11th to take the outright lead. He bogeyed the 12th but bounced back with a 19-foot birdie on the 15th to finish on four under, alongside Bud Cauley and Brian Campbell.Cauley had a bogey free round and Campbell had an action-filled one.Campbell, starting from the tenth, had three bogeys in his first five holes. After that, he had no more bogeys and finished with three birdies and an eagle two in his last six holes. (PTI)
National Tennis: Snigdha, Mannan move into semis
NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Fourth seed Snigdha Kanta and seventh seed Mannan Agarwal delivered standout performances on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship in their respective categories at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi.In the girls U-16 singles quarterfinal, Snigdha held her nerve in crucial moments and defeated Diya Chaudhary in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to move to the next round of the tournament. Snigdha was behind by 2-4 at the halfway stage after Diya broke her serve with a sublime forehand.The Karnataka player came roaring back, winning four consecutive games to secure the first set. The second set was tightly contested, with both players trading break points twice to reach 4-4. However, Snigdha’s speed and aggression ultimately proved decisive as she claimed the next two games and sealed the match.Mannan Agarwal had a smooth sailing in the boys U-16 quarters as he beat Yashwin Dahiya in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 to reach the next round. Yashwin won the first game in the opening set, but the seventh seed soon came into his groove and broke his opponent’s serve thrice to win the first set. Mannan broke Yashwin’s serve thrice in the second set as well to clinch the match.Eighth seed Tavish Pahwa continued his winning run to reach the semis of the boys U-16 singles category after beating Shaurya Bhardwaj 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 in a three-set contest. (IANS)
