Tumakuru, May 10: The ITF W35 Tumakuru Open tournament came to an unfortunate end on Sunday as top seed Justina Mikulskytė was crowned champion after second seed Zuzanna Pawlikowska was forced to retire due to injury in the singles final at the Tumakuru District Tennis Association courts.
Pawlikowska, who had already withdrawn from the doubles final on Saturday owing to a shoulder injury, showed tremendous courage by taking the court for the title clash despite discomfort. However, after the opening game, the Polish player was unable to continue, leading to a premature end to the summit clash and disappointment for the large gathering of spectators who had turned up expecting a thrilling finale between the top two seeds.
The title marked the eighth ITF singles crown for Mikulskytė, who added another milestone to an impressive season on the international circuit. Along with the trophy, the Lithuanian pocketed a winner’s cheque of USD 4,860 and earned 35 valuable WTA ranking points. Pawlikowska, meanwhile, received USD 2,637 and 23 WTA points for finishing runner-up.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hon’ble Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara reiterated his vision of promoting sports among the youth and transforming Tumakuru into a sporting hub.
“I want to see a drug-free state and one of the best ways to engage youngsters positively is through sports. It is our vision to transform Tumakuru into a sports city by creating opportunities and infrastructure for athletes,” he said.
The dignitaries present during the prize distribution ceremony included Dr. G. Parameshwara, Hon’ble Home Minister, Government of Karnataka and District In-charge Minister of Tumakuru; Mr. Sunil Yajaman, Hon. Joint Secretary of AITA and KSLTA; Ms. Kannika Parameshwari; Ms. Subha Kalyan, IAS, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Tumakuru District; Mr. Ashok KV, Superintendent of Police, Tumakuru District; Mr. GR Amarnath, Tournament Director and President of Tumakuru District Tennis Stadium; and Mr. Supreeth Kadavigere, ITF Supervisor.
Results
Women’s Singles final: 1-Justina Mikulskyte (LTU) Vs. 2-Zuzanna Pawlikowska (POL) 1-0 (retired)