Thiruvananthapuram: Top seed Priyanuj Bhattacharyya of Assam and second seed P.B. Abhinand of Tamil Nadu marched into the pre-quarterfinals of the Under-17 Youth Boys’ category at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships at the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, setting the stage for a potential showdown in the final.

In the Under-17 Girls’ event, top two seeds Syndrela Das from West Bengal and Sajanika Maji from Delhi also advanced confidently into the Round of 16, maintaining their status as strong title contenders.

As expected, the top players in both categories had little trouble in their Round 32 encounters, dispatching their opponents with relative ease. However, two thrilling matches in the Girls’ section drew considerable attention from the spectators.

Qualifier Vanshika Mudgal of FCI pulled off an exciting win against unseeded Naisha Rewaskar of Maharashtra. The match had a dramatic twist as Vanshika won the first game in a tense deuce, 12-10, before dropping the second game in a heavy 5-11 defeat. But Vanshika rallied to win the third game despite a close contest, and she clinched the match 12-10, 5-11, 11-13, 13-11 in the fourth game, showcasing excellent mental resilience.

Third-seed Kavya Bhatt of Maharashtra found herself in a tough spot, trailing 0-2 against Prachi Mazumdar from Assam. However, Kavya showed great composure, capitalizing on early mistakes by her opponent to level the match. In the deciding fifth game, Kavya stepped up her game, defeating Prachi 9-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 to advance to the next round.

Syndrela Das demonstrated her dominance by cruising to a swift 11-1, 11-3, 11-9 win over fellow Bengal player Akolika Sen in just 15 minutes. Akolika put up some resistance but was no match for Syndrela’s attacking play. Similarly, Sajanika Maji defeated Hrithika Madhur of Maharashtra with her defensive skills and counterattacks, frustrating Hrithika with her slow but precise shots and eventually winning the match with a controlled performance.

In the Boys’ category, Sudhanshu Maini from Delhi showed considerable improvement in his game, coming back from a 1-2 deficit to defeat Rushikesh Jagtap of PSPB Academy in a hard-fought battle. Sudhanshu displayed remarkable resilience and consistency, ultimately winning 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9.

Top seeds Priyanuj Bhattacharyya and P.B. Abhinand made short work of their Round 32 opponents. Priyanuj defeated Debraj Bhattacharjee from West Bengal 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, while Abhinand dispatched Rajveer Singh Bhatia of Punjab with a similar 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 victory. Another contender, Punit Biswas of West Bengal, faced a tough challenge from Rupam Sardar of West Bengal after dropping the first game. However, Punit recovered well, winning 6-11, 13-11, 11-13, 11-8 to secure his place in the next round.

The U-17 Boys' and Girls' categories will continue with their next round later tonight. Meanwhile, the Men's group matches have begun, with two rounds played today, while the Women’s event will kick off tomorrow. The championship promises more exciting action as the tournament progresses.