NEW DELHI, October 9 (www.dsclopentennis.com) - Top-seeded Aqeel Khan (Pakistan) rallied from the loss of the first set to put paid to second seed Vinod Sridhar's aspirations of regaining men's crown at the 13th DSCL Open National Tennis Championship with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory in the final here today.

Aqeel Khan, the 24-year-old who has had little experience of playing against left-handers, was coming into his own when he was found help from unexpected quarters. He had lost the first set after being broken in the ninth game. In the eighth game of the second set, Vinod Sridhar chased a forehand return so hard that he pulled a groin muscle.

Hard as the Chennai-based ONGC officer tried by giving his all in his bid to break Aqeel Khan's serve in the ninth game, Vinod Sridhar was unable to pull that off and the man from Karachi hung in to claim the set with a break in the 12th game. Aqeel Khan won the next two sets on a canter as the Vinod Sridhar's game came unstuck.

"I am delighted to win the Indian National championship. It is a special feeling because as a youngster I always used to dream of playing in the Indian circuit," Aqeel Khan said, thanking the All India Tennis Association and DSCL for extending him an invitation. "I will be back in India more and will surely come back to defend the title."

Vinod Sridhar, who won the DSCL Open National title in 2002 when he outslugged Mustafa Ghouse in the final, was disappointed that the groin muscle pull stopped him from putting his best foot forward. "It is unfortunate and one has to live with it. Had I won the second set, I may have pushed myself a bit to win in straight sets," he said.

Delhi's Vivek Shokeen and Sanaa Bhambri claimed the boys and girls' under-18 titles in contrasting styles. The second-seedeed Vivek Shokeen, who won ITF junior events in Mumbai and Gurgaon last month, stunned the top seed Rupesh Roy (Bengal) in three sets while the left-handed Sanaa Bhambri beat Parul Goswami (Delhi), winning the second set with ease after being made to fight through the first.

The results (all finals)

Men's singles:
1 Aqeel Khan (Pakistan) beat 2 Vinod Sridhar (Tamil Nadu) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1.

Boys' under-18 singles:
2 Vivek Shokeen (Delhi) beat 1 Rupesh Roy (Bengal) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

Girls' under-18 singles:
1 Sanaa Bhambri (Delhi) beat Parul Goswami (Delhi) 7-5, 6-1.