Sri Lanka’s wheelchair tennis champion Upali Rajakaruna of SL Army entered the second back-to-back final of the Sri Lankan Open ITF-ratified Wheelchair Tennis Tournament that began at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) hard courts in Colombo on Friday (26). The tournament which ends today will feature men’s doubles final this morning. The men’s open singles final was being played when we were going to press last evening.

In a 16-player singles draw, top seed Rajakaruna beat W.H.S. Kumara 6-1, 6-1 in his first match and M.L. Senarathne 6-1, 6-0 in the quarter-final before ousting K.P.S. Perera 7-6 (6), 6-0 in the semi-final to meet bottom seed D.M. Gamini in the final.

Meanwhile Gamini beat A.M.D. Jayaratne 6-0, 6-2, B.M.M. Basnayake 6-3, 6-2 and Jayalath Manathunge 6-2, 6-4 in his semis to book a berth in the final with ‘Raja.’

Two Indians, D. Mariappan and S. Balachandar, are the only foreigners taking part in this ITF Futures tennis tourney offering prize money worth US$1,800. Both Indians lost in their second rounds, against K.P.S. Perera and Manathunga respectively in straight sets.

‘Raja,’ who is holding an ITF world rank of 144 now, held last year the career highest world rank of a 68 (as on Sep. 22, 2008) at the time he represented Sri Lanka in Beijing Olympics.

In doubles, the top seed pair of Rajakaruna and Gamini are to meet bottom seed Manathunga and K.M.S. Perera in the finals today.