Vadodara: Tamil Nadu’s M. Hansini claimed her maiden Under-19 Girls’ singles title with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Haryana’s Suhana Saini in the UTT 86th Junior and Youth National Championships at the SAMA Indoor Complex.
The electrifying final saw both players leveraging their strong backhands, punctuated by well-placed forehands and thrilling rallies, keeping the audience on edge.
Suhana opened in commanding fashion, storming to an 11-1 win and lead in the first game. However, Hansini’s composed recovery levelled the match in the second. The third game was a nail-biter, with Hansini narrowly edging out Suhana after saving three game points, gaining a crucial 2-1 advantage. Hansini then took the fourth game, battling through Suhana’s late surge. While Suhana bounced back in the fifth to force a deuce and extend the match, Hansini refocused in the sixth game, holding off another spirited comeback to clinch the title. Suhana, a quarterfinalist last year, will rue missed opportunities but walks away with a commendable silver.
Hansini’s semifinal journey was a dominant 4-1 win over Maharashtra’s Kavya Bhatt, where her superior control forced her opponent into errors. Suhana, on the other hand, redeemed herself after a team event loss, overpowering Taneesha Kotecha of Maharashtra in straight games. While Taneesha showed glimpses of brilliance, she appeared fatigued, allowing Suhana to cruise into the final.
Maharashtra Doubles Domination
The doubles events became a showcase for Maharashtra’s rising stars, as they swept the gold medals in the Under-19 and Under-17 categories. In the Under-19 final, Taneesha Kotecha and Sayali Wani emerged victorious against state teammates Pritha Vartikar and Ananya Chande in a closely contested 3-1 battle. The pair combined aggressive net play with clever shot placement, outmanoeuvering their opponents in crucial moments. Pritha and Ananya fought valiantly, but their inability to sustain pressure in key rallies allowed Taneesha and Sayali to seal the gold.
Haryana and Delhi had to settle for the bronze medals in the Doubles events, underlining the competitive spirit and talent on display.
In the Under-17 doubles, Maharashtra extended their dominance with another stellar performance, showcasing depth and coordination across their squads. In the doubles final, Naisha Rewaskar and Divyanshi Bhowmick effectively coordinated to secure a convincing 3-0 win over Delhi’s Sayanika Maji and Tushti Sood. The Delhi duo settled for silver, while the bronze medals went to Bengal and Tamil Nadu paddlers.
Results:
Under-19 Girls’ Final: M. Hansini (TN) bt Suhana Saini (har) 1-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-9, 10-12,11-8.
Semifinals: Hansini bt Kavya Bhatt (Mah) 12-10, 11-7, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6; Suhana bt Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7.
Quarterfinals: Kavya bt Ditsa Roy (WB) 3-0; Hansini bt Jennifer Varghese (Mah) 3-1; Suhana bt Sayali Wani (Mah) 3-1; Taneesha bt Diya Bramhachary (Del) 3-0.
U-19 Girls’ Doubles: Final: Taneesha Kotecha/Sayali Wani (Mah) bt Pritha Vartikar/Ananya Chande (Mah) 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7.
Semifinals: Taneesha/Sayali bt Tanmanyee Saha/Suhana Saini (Har) 11-6, 11-6, 11-8; Ananya/Pritha bt Vanshika Mudgal/Prisha Goel (Del) 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8.
U-17 Girls’ Doubles: Final: Naisha Rewaskar/Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) bt Sayanika Maji/Tushti Sood (Del) 11-6, 13-11, 11-3.
Semifinals: Divyanshi/Naisha bt Syndrela Das/Nandini Saha (WB) 3-1; Sayanika/Tusti bt Ananya Muralidharan/Nandhini Balaji Reena (TN) 3-2.
