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by Richard Dwight

It has turned out to be an all Indian clash, be it in the men's and women's finals in the Sri Lanka Open Amateur Golf Championships which reaches its final stages at the Royal Colombo Golf Club today.

The rising star in Indian golf firmament is undoubtedly Vikrant Chopra, who will strive to give of his best tomorrow to prevent his compatriots Simrajeet Singh from winning the title for the third successive year.

The Indian ladies had it all their own way with four semifinalists from their country - which narrowed down to Shruti Khanna, who beat last year's champion Trina Brae meeting Parnita Garewal in the women's final.

In the first of two semi-finals played yesterday the young Indian Vikrant Chopra, who has been playing consistently well began teeing off against Pakistan's S. Javed. Chopra kept up a blistering pace of fine attacking golf to be 5 up by the turn of the first half. Javed however putted back Chopra to keep him 3 up till the 14th hole.

The 15th hole proved disastrous for Javed, when his tee shot was ever so wayward, thus conceding the match to Chopra who birdied the 15th hole, winning in his inimitable style of a compact, highly skilled golfer. In the second semifinal the reigning champion Simarjeet Singh took on the only Sri Lankan to come into the reckoning in the former champ of note Tissa Chandradasa.

Tissa did well to lead by 2 up at the turn of the first half.

Thereafter a seesaw battle ensued with Simarjeet moving on the level the score on the 11th hole and forging ahead by being 1 up on the 12th.

Tissa came back strongly on the 13th hole to level and then went ahead on the 14th with a fine birdie which was effectively countered by Simarjeet on the 16th hole to level and then eventually went on to beat Tissa on the final 18th by being 1 up with a fine par effort.

Result - Semi-Finals

Men - Vikrani Chopra (Ind) bt S. Javed (Pak) Simarjeet Singh (Ind) bt Tissa Chadradasa (SL) Ladies - Shruti Khanna (Ind) bt Irina Brae (Ind) Parnita Grewal (Ind) bt Anjali Hopra (Ind)

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