Sixth seed Ishaque Eqbal (WB) playing some splendid tennis shocked the top-seed and former Davis Cup player V.M. Ranjeet (TN) 6-3, 7-5 and set a title clash with Mysuru lad S.D.Prajwal Dev in the men’s singles event of MTC Cup AITA Rs. One lakh prize-money men’s tennis tournament here yesterday.

Ishaque impressed with his serve and strong ground strokes. He took an early 3-1 lead in the first set. Ishaque executed some excellent double-handed back-hand down-the line winners for which the experienced Ranjeet had no answer. Ishaque continued to play his ground strokes well on both the flanks and went on to take the first set at 6-3.

In the second set the games went on with serves (5-5) before Ishaque broke Ranjeet’s serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead and held his serve to win the set and the match at 7-5. He later partnered Shaik Osama (AP) and entered the doubles final too with a good 6-3, 7-5 win over Sachin Kumar and Vanshal D’souza, and is in line for a double on Friday.

In the other men’s singles semi-finals, local lad and third seed S.D. Prajwal Dev (KAR) entered the finals after second seed Faisal Qamar (RAJ) retired in the deciding set owing to groin injury.

The Results

Men’s singles (Semi-finals): Ishaque Eqbal (WB) bt  V.M. Ranjeet (TN) 6-3, 7-5, S.D.Prajwal Dev (KAR) bt Faisal Qamar (RAJ) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 (retd).

Doubles (Semi-finals): M. Ihsan Hussain/Fahad Mohammed (TN) bt Alok Aradhya/Naesar V Jewoor (KAR) 6-3, 6-4, Ishaque Eqbal/Shaik Osama bt Sachin Kumar/Vanshal D’souza 6-3, 7-5.