Harsha Deshpande seals double title at GSTA State Ranking Tennis Tournament

Ahmedabad, Dec 25 (IANS) Emerging tennis star Harsha Deshpande made a remarkable showing in the Gujarat State Tennis Association (GSTA) State Ranking Tennis Tournament, securing a double victory by claiming the Girls’ Under-14 and Girls’ Under-16 Singles titles.

Harsha, a Grade VII student, has been training at the Adani Sportsline Academy since 2024. She demonstrated maturity, steadiness, and tactical awareness beyond her years in both age groups of the event that took place at the SRAG Tennis Academy in Ahmedabad from December 20 to 23, 2025.

In the Girls’ Under-14 draw, Harsha beat Jena Shah 6–1 in the quarterfinals, then defeated Reona Pancholi 6–3 in the semifinals, and clinched the title with a 7–3 victory over Zia Thakkar in the final. She carried that momentum into the Girls’ Under-16 category, where she achieved dominant wins against Jiya Hada (6–0) in the quarterfinals and Pahel Mehta (6–1) in the semifinals, before beating Sarah Rias 7–3 in the final.

The double triumph further marked a successful domestic season for Harsha, who also secured her first Girls Under-14 Singles title at the All India Championship Series (7) Tennis Tournament in August 2025. Her performances this year demonstrate consistent improvement across various age groups and increased confidence in competitive matches.

Harsha’s growth is fostered by Adani Sportsline Academy’s structured training system, which highlights technical skill, physical fitness, mental resilience, and sustainable athlete development. The academy remains dedicated to nurturing young talent via expert coaching and competitive exposure, reaffirming its goal to develop India’s future high-performance athletes.

Harsha’s victories highlight a strong domestic season and consistent progress on the junior circuit, underscoring Adani Sportsline Academy’s commitment to structured, long-term athlete development.

Earlier this year, the Gujarat State Tennis Association (GSTA) entered into a collaboration with Tennis Premier League (TPL), which recently concluded its seventh season, and both pledged their support to grassroots development programmes in the state. The TPL announced this move as part of the nationwide Race to Gold (RTG) initiative, which aims to unearth India’s tennis gems and provide them with scholarships to further their careers.

–IANS

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