Chinmay with his AITA trophy. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 4: Chinmay Pradhan, 21, became the first player from Odisha to win a national tennis championship conducted by the All- India Tennis Association (AITA).

Panda, a Rafael Nadal admirer, yesterday won the AITA 30K Men’s Ranking Tennis Tournament that concluded at the Gurukul Tennis Academy at Mendhasal on the city outskirts. Chinmay won a close final against Madhya Pradesh lad Neeraj Choudhury. The three-setter went 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“Neeraj was unseeded for the tournament, but he is a wonderful player and beat the top seed Manoj Sewa of Bengal in the quarters. Thus, this win means a lot to me. The most important factor is confidence and becoming the first in my state to win the tournament has given me that along with hope as well as responsibility to keep performing even better,” said Chinmay.

He had reached the finals of the same event to become the most successful Odia player to have achieved that feat on February last. Pursuing a postgraduate degree in journalism from Utkal University, Chinmay aims to take part in the Chennai Open soon.

“But, that demands a lot of hardwork. I already get up at 3am and workout for an hour at least four times a day to get the right fitness. My trainer Dilip Rout has been working harder and that inspires me. My coach Santosh Mallick is working on my technique. Tennis is priority for me right now and I am focusing at winning as many International Tennis Federation (ITF) points. I may get to play Chennai Open qualifiers, if I get 10 more ITF points,” said the tennis player. Chinmay is ranked at 63 by the AITA. After 15 points of his recent victory are added, he hopes to make it to rank 45.

A regular quarter finalist in national championships, Chinmay believes the present facilities and infrastructure in the state are improving.

His father, a doctor, has established the Gurukul Tennis Academy to help upcoming players such as Chinmay to get the right environment for practice.

The youngster, who is also a fan of Roger Federer, is getting ready for a national championship to be held in August. “Last year’s feat of reaching finals was the drive to win this time. Now, this victory will help me reach new heights,” said Chinmay.