Chandigarh: Top-seeded Anthony Amalraj defeated sixth seed Sanil Shetty 4-2 to win the men’s singles title while No. 3 seed Madhurika Patkar beat fourth-seeded Pooja Sahasrabuddhe 4-2 to win the women’s singles crown in the 11Even Sports National Ranking (North Zone) Table Tennis Championships at the Panjab University Gymnasium Indoor Hall here on Thursday.
Their title-winning efforts fetched them Rs. 66,000 and Rs. 55,000, respectively.
Amalraj, who had won two zonal titles last year, began well and kept himself in the hunt throughout, particularly after the semifinal win over longtime friend and Chennai mate G. Sathiyan 4-3. As compared to the earlier outing, the final against southpaw Sanil Shetty was rather easy despite the two going at a good pace.
Though Amalraj opened with a first-game loss, he was quick enough size up his rival’s game plan and hit the groove nicely. In the fourth, however, Shetty made good efforts to put up some fight and even managed to extend Amalraj a bit. But once Amalraj led 3-1, it was all over bar for the shouting Shetty as he was allowed the liberty of just two points in the fifth game.
Meanwhile, it was a good beginning to the season by Madhurika Patkar as she had completed missed a ranking title last season. The season before in 2014, she just had a title (East Zone) to show which she had won at Siliguri. But, as Madhuri later admitted, she had a nervous second-round start against six-time national champion Paulomi Ghatak, who was returning after motherhood.
Madhurika passed that test and followed it up with a tough match against Suthirtha Mukherjee in the quarterfinals earlier in the day. Having crossed the two barriers, it was a little easy for the determined PSPB player, even though Pooja made her work for points.
“I thought the second round match against Paulomi was tough because she is such an experienced player I had to be careful. Suthirtha too played well and was posing a lot of problems. But those two wins gave me the confidence in the final as I was determined not to let the trophy go off my hands,” said Madhurika.
The biggest upset of the day, however, was that of top-seed Manika Batra, who is also the reigning national champion. After the exit of No. 2 seed Mouma Das, who is bound for Olympics at Rio in August, yesterday Manika followed her today. Losing in early rounds was not a big sin but the way she lost to Pooja Sahasabuddhe, without even putting up a semblance of fight surprised everyone. But one cannot take away the credit from Pooja as she had a nice rhythm going her way. However hard Manka tried, she could not make a match of it.
DOUBLE FOR MANAV
Manav Thakkar, who won the Junior Boys title yesterday, beat West Bengal’s Arjun Ghosh 4-1 in the Youth Boys final to complete a double. The PSPB Academy boy who missed the title narrowly last time made it his own with a clinical performance. Arjun had won the title last year in the West Zone event at Thane.
Archana Kamath, who could not defend the Junior title, made amends to regain the Youth Girls title beating her AAI colleague Sreeja Akula 4-1. Archana had won the Youth title at Agra in the same event two seasons ago. “I was a bit upset when I could not progress in the junior event. I was feeling the pressure. But I am happy I could hit it off in the Youth final. I had a nice flow and getting my strokes right,” said Archana.
RESULTS:
Men’s Singles: Final: A. Amalraj (PSPB) bt Sanil Shetty (PSPB) 4-1 (5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 13-11, 11-2); Semifinals: A. Amalraj bt G. Sathiyan (PSPB) 4-3 (12-10, 9 -11, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6), Sanil Shetty bt Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 4-2 (11-6, 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 5-11, 15-13); Quarterfinals: Amalraj bt Subhajit Saha (PSPB) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8), Sathiyan bt Utkarsh Gupta (Del) 4-2 (11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-6), Sanil Shetty bt Sudhanshu Grover (PSPB) 4-2 (11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 12-114, 11-8, 11-7), Harmeet Desai bt Jubin Kumar (Har) 4-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7).
Women’s Singles: Final: Madhurika Patkar (PSPB) bt Pooja Sahasrabuddhe (PSPB) 4-2 (12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-8); Semifinals: Pooja Sahasrabuddhe bt Manika Batra (PSPB) 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4), Madhurika Patkar bt Shruti Amrute (Mah-B) 4-2 (14-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5); Quarterfinals: Manika Batra bt Frenz Chipia (AAI) 4-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4), Pooja Sahasrabuddhe bt K. Shamini (PSPB) 4-3 (11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11, 15-13m 11-8, 11-6), Madhurika Patkar bt Suthirtha Mukherjee (WB) 4-2 (14-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5), Shruti Amrute bt Reeth Rishya (PSPB) 4-1 (11-3, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2).
Youth Boys: Final: Manav Thakkar (PSPBA) bt Arjun Ghosh (WB) 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7); Semifinals: Arjun Ghosh bt Ronit Bhanja (AAI) 4-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8), Manav Thakkar bt Utkarsh Gupta (Del) 4-3 (11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9); Quarterfinals: Ronit Bhanja bt Jeet Chandra (WB) 4-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6), Arjun Ghosh bt Birdie Boro (PSPB) 4-3 (11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-7), Utkarsh Gupa bt Lalrin Puia (Miz) 4-3 (5-11, 11-4, 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10), Manav Thakkar bt Abhishek Yadav (PSPB) 4-2 (11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7).
Youth Girls: Final: Archana G. Kamath (AAI) bt Sreeja Akula (AAI) 4-1 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-1); Semifinals: Archana Kamath bt Ayhika Mukherjee (AAI) 4-2 (11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6), Sreeja Akula (AAI) bt Manushree Patil (Mah-A) 4-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5); Quarterfinals: Ayhika Mukherjee bt Priyanka Pareek (Raj) 4-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3), Archana Kamath bt Priyadarshini Das (WB) 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7), Manushree Patil bt Tanishi Kirtani (Goa) 4-0 (11-8, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3), Sreeja Akula bt S. Seleenadeepthi (AAI) 4-1 (5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8).
