Arichandran Reaches Final of National 75 Tennis Clay Courts in usa

Congratulations to Kanagaratnam Arichandran, more familiarly known as Ari for reaching the final round of the National 75 Clay Court Championships at Army Navy Country Club in mid-September.  Seeded in the 5-8 group, in a field of 58 players from 14 states and Washington DC, Ari survived closely contested third round, quarter and semi-final matches before succumbing to the strong no. 2 seeded Ohioan, George McCabe.  A former Davis Cup player for his native Sri Lanka , and a retired World Bank staffer residing in Bethesda, Maryland, Ari can probably lay claim to the smallest body weight as well as the longest name of any of the Nationals field.  At a  mere 138 pounds and 5 feet 3 ½ inches tall, he nonetheless possesses a lethal forehand to go with an undercut but accurate backhand. He currently heads the Mid-Atlantic 75 standings list.

( McCabe and Ari with their trophies)

( Extract from a recent United States Tennis Association Newsletter of October 2007)