Panchkula: The penultimate day of the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships delivered thrilling action at the Tau Devi Lal Indoor Multipurpose Hall, with fans treated to gripping finals in both the Youth Boys and Girls Under-19 singles events.
In the Boys’ final, Ankur Bhattacharjee of West Bengal faced a fierce challenge from Tamil Nadu’s P.B. Abhinand. Despite a rocky third game, Ankur triumphed 4-1 for yet another title this season.
The match was a rollercoaster, with Abhinand taking an early lead before Ankur levelled the score. A critical moment came when Ankur saved six game points in the fourth game, flipping the momentum in his favour. From there, the West Bengal player surged ahead, dominating the final two games to secure the victory.
Meanwhile, in the Girls’ final, Haryana's Suhana Saini appeared to be in control against Sayanika Maji, until the second game, when Sayanika mounted a spirited comeback. Capitalising on several unforced errors from Suhana, Sayanika equalised the match, creating tension for the local favourite. However, Suhana regained her composure and clinched the title 4-2 with a steady and focused performance to end up on the podium top.
Ankur beat Punit Biswas from West Bengal with a dominant 3-0 win. Other notable semifinal results saw P.B. Abhinand overpower Oishik Ghosh from West Bengal, winning 3-1.
Ankur’s strong performance continued in the quarterfinal as he defeated Dhruv Shah 3-1. Punit had a close call with Shankhadip, edging out a 3-2 win. Oishik was dominant against Preyesh Raj Suresh from Tamil Nadu, winning 3-0, while Abhinand cruised past Aaron Farias from Goa with another 3-0 victory.
In the Youth Girls U-19 semifinals, Suhana defeated Pritha Vartikar from Maharashtra 3-0, while Sayanika edged past Subhankrita from West Bengal in a tight 3-1 match.
The quarterfinals saw intense competition, with Pritha securing a 3-2 win over Ananya Chande from Maharashtra, Suhana beating Ananya Muralidharan of Tamil Nadu 3-0, and Subhankrita narrowly defeating Diya Bramhachary from Delhi 3-2. Sayanika pulled off a 3-1 victory over Taneesha Kotecha from Maharashtra to complete the exciting lineup of results leading to the finals.
The men’s and women’s singles events are now entering an exciting phase, with the quarterfinals set to be completed later today. As the competition heats up, players are gearing up for two intense rounds tomorrow, culminating in the highly anticipated finals. With the stakes rising, the action promises to be fast-paced and full of drama as the championship heads toward its thrilling conclusion.
Results:
Youth Boys U-19: Final: Ankur Bhattacharjee (WB) bt P.B. Abhinand 10-12, 11-4, 18-16, 11-6, 11-8.
Semifinals: Ankur bt Punit Biswas (WB) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9; P.B. Abhinand bt Oishik Ghosh (WB) 11-2, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7.
Quarterfinals: Ankur bt Dhruv Shah (Mah) 3-1; Punit bt Shankhadip Das (WB) 3-2; Oishik bt Preyesh Raj Suresh (TN) 3-0; P.B. Abhinand bt Aaron Farias (Goa) 3-0.
Youth Girls U-19: Final: Suhani Saini (Har) bt Sayanika Maji (Del) 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9.
Semifinals: Suhana bt Pritha Vartikar (Mah) 11-3, 11-8, 11-9; Sayanika bt Subhankrita (WB) 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8.
Quarterfinals: Pritha bt Ananya Chande (Mah) 3-2; Suhana bt Ananya Muralidharan (TN) 3-0; Subhankrita bt Diya Bramhacharay (Del) 3-2; Sayanika bt Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) 3-1.
