Pune, April 24, 2026: Local favourite Arnav Paparkar placed himself in line for a double crown in the boys’ event, while 14-year-old Jensi Kanabar entered the girls’ finals at the MSLTA Deccan Gymkhana Asia Oceania B1 Junior Tennis Championships organized by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association and Deccan Gymkhana in association with PYC Hindu Gymkhana, played on the Deccan Gymkhana tennis courts.
In the all-Indian semifinal played today, second-seeded Arnav Paparkar proved too strong for 16-year-old Tavish Pahwa, winning 6-1, 6-3 in 1 hour and 25 minutes. In the final, Paparkar will take on top seed Hyu Kawanishi of Japan, who scored a 6-1, 6-1 win against Korea’s Junseo Jang.
The biggest surprise of the day was the performance of 14-year-old Jensi Kanabar of Junagadh, who displayed solid tenacity to overcome a first-set loss and come back to win 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, upsetting seventh-seeded 16-year-old Diya Ramesh in a match lasting 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Kanabar will take on fourth seed Siyoen Sim of Korea, who registered a 6-4, 6-2 win against Japan’s Misaki Sekido.
In the afternoon session, local boy Arnav Paparkar gave the local crowd plenty to cheer as he partnered Thailand’s Kunanan Pantaratorn to win the doubles title. The Indo-Thai pair scored a 6-2, 7-5 win against the Japanese team of Hyu Kawanishi and Eito Komada.
In the girls’ doubles final, the Japanese team of Miku Kitaoka and Yui Komada won against the Kazakhstan pair of Eva Korysheva and Adiya Omarbek 6-3, 7-5 to clinch the title.
The doubles winners received a trophy and 225 ITF points, while the runners-up received a trophy and 157 ITF points. The prizes were presented by Mr. Sanjay Shete, Hon. Secretary of the Maharashtra Olympic Association, Mr. Sunder Iyer, Hon. Secretary of MSLTA, Mr. Mihir Kelkar, Secretary of Deccan Gymkhana, and Dr. Vikrant Sane, Tennis Secretary of Deccan Gymkhana. ITF Supervisor Leena Nageshkar was also present on the occasion.
Results:
Main Draw Singles – Semifinal:
Boys:
Arnav Paparkar [2] (IND) bt Tavish Pahwa (IND) 6-1, 6-3 (1 hour 25 minutes);
Hyu Kawanishi [1] (JPN) bt Junseo Jang (KOR) 6-1, 6-1 (1 hour 2 minutes).
Girls:
Siyoen Sim [4] (KOR) bt Misaki Sekido (JPN) 6-4, 6-2 (1 hour 14 minutes);
Jensi Kanabar (IND) bt Diya Ramesh [7] (IND) 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2 (2 hours 13 minutes).
Doubles – Final:
Boys:
Kunanan Pantaratorn (THA) / Arnav Paparkar (IND) [1] bt Hyu Kawanishi [2] (JPN) / Eito Komada (JPN) 6-2, 7-5.
Girls:
Miku Kitaoka [2] (JPN) / Yui Komada (JPN) bt Eva Korysheva (KAZ) / Adiya Omarbek (KAZ) 6-3, 7-5.