Hosts Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday brought cheers to the home crowd claiming the women's team gold in tennis with a fluent 2-0 win over Karnataka in the 32nd National Games in Hyderabad.
The final, played amidst a carnival-like atmosphere at the SAAP tennis complex, saw Andhra gaining a 1-0 lead when teenage sensation Sania Mirza defeated a tired-looking Archana Venkatraman 6-4 6-2.
However, reigning national grass court champion Manisha Malhotra had to counter a stiff challenge from Karnataka's Sheetal Goutham before registering a 6-1 6-7 (10/12) 7-5 victory to fashion Andhra's golden triumph.
Mirza, who became the first Indian to win the Asian junior tennis title last week, played an aggressive brand of tennis firing aces and powerful winners to prevail over her more experienced rival in only 66 minutes.
Manisha, roped in by Andhra for the Games, breezed past her opponent in the opening set as she repeatedly charged at the net, egged on by a sizeable number of enthusiastic spectators, largely schoolchildren, in the galleries.
A police band playing popular Hindi songs during the breaks added to the festive atmosphere.
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