KATHMANDU, May 1:Former national champion Jitendra Pariyar has advanced into the men’s singles semifinals of the ongoing sixth Citizens Bank Open Tennis Tournament on Monday. 

The winner of the second and the third edition of the tournament, Pariyar beat Pranab Khanal 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. 

Pariyar will now take on Pradeep Khadka in the semifinals. 

Khakda defeated Ranjan Shrestha 6-1, 6-3 to reach the last four. 

The other last semifinal match will see Kamal Bhandari play against Santosh Karki. In the quarterfinals, Bhandari saw off Nabin Magar 6-2, 6-1, while Karki thrashed Samyak Bhushan Bajracharya 6-4, 6-1. 

In the women’s singles, Prerana Koirala, Ganga Sharma and Abhilasha Bista have secured their places in the last four. 

In the matches played on the same day, Koirala defeated Mahika Rana 3-6, 6-0, 7-6, Sharma thrashed Indra Kala Shrestha 6-0, 6-0 and Bista overcame Prakriti Shrestha 6-0, 6-1. 
Koirala will take on Sharma in the semifinal. 

The last quarterfinal match between Ira Rawat and Ane Mathema was postponed due to rain. Rawat won the first set 7-5, while she was 2-4 behind Mathema in the second when the rain abandoned the match. 

The winner of that game will face Bista for the final place.
 

 
• jitendra
 
• pariyar
 
• mens
 
• semis