IN THE most exciting final of the ongoing Shakti Club Open Ranking Table Tennis Tournament, Tejas Wasnikar survived Arush Meshram scare to win the title in Under-17 boys singles category.

Wasnikar had a great start and bagged the first two games 11-06, 11-05 for a 2-0 lead. Meshram bounced back to reduce the deficit talking he third game 11-07. Wasnikar clawed his way back into the match making it 3-1 taking the extended fourth game 12-10. Once again Meshram fought back to wrest a game. He took the fifth game 11-08 to reduce the margin once again. But Wasnikar held on in the sixth game to take it 11-09 and the title along with it.

Incidentally, in the U-15 boys final, Meshram finished the match in three straight games against the same opponent. Meshram beat Wasnikar 11-09, 11-07, 11-07.

The only upset in the finals came in the boys U-13 age group where Purabsingh Renu stunned top seed Sarth Shastri 05-11, 11-05, 11-08, 11-09 after losing the first game.

Most of the other finals were one-sided affairs with the champions finishing those off in three or four games.

RESULTS

U-11 Girls Final: Purvi Kaur Renu bt Tanisha Kolare 08-11, 11-09, 11-09, 12-10. U-11 Boys Final: Karan Kashyap bt Anmol Varhade 11-03, 11-03, 11-07.

Under-13 Girls Final: Sharvari Khobragade bt Unnati Sakhre 11-09, 11-03, 11-04. Under-13 Boys Final: Purabsingh Renu bt Sarth Shastri 05-11, 11-05, 11-08, 11-09.

Under-15 Girls Final: Sharvari Khobragade bt Anvesha Kashyap 11-05, 14-12, 11-05. Under-15 Boys Final: Arush Meshram bt Tejas Wasnikar 11-09, 11-07, 11-07.

Under-17 Girls Final: Sharvari Khobragade bt Anvesh Kashyap 12-10, 11-07, 11-08, 11-06. Under-17 Boys Final: Tejas Wasnikar bt Arush Meshram 11-06, 11-05, 07-11, 12-10, 08-11, 11-09.