(Above) Nagpur’s third seed Ikshika Umate plays a
backhand shot during her semi-final against Kavya Bhatt. Kabir Jichkar in action in U-15 match. (Pics by Anil Futane)
Sports Reporter :
Pune’s Soman bags U-17 boys title, city’s Ikshika goes down in semis
YOUNG Kavya Bhatt made the Jennifer Varghese 3rd Maharashtra State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament her own, completing a hat-trick of singles titles on Monday.
After the women’s and Under-19 girls singles crowns in the first two days of the event, the Thane girl picked her third title emerging winner in the U-17 girls final at Subhedar Hall, Ravi Nagar Square on penultimate day of the tourney. The event is being organised by Nagpur District Table Tennis Association.
Seventh seed Kavya was given a good fight by Pune’s fifth seed Naisha Rewaskar. In fact, it was the latter who won the first game.
The final scores in favour of
the winner read 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7.
Pune’s 12th seed Shouren Soman upset a much higher ranked second seed MCD’s Parth Magar in straight games 11-7, 12-10, 11-6 for boys title.
Nagpur’s best bet in the tourney third seed Ikshika Umate was stunned by Kavya in the semi-finals. After losing first two games, Ikshika ignited hope of a comeback taking the third game but Kavya sealed the issue in the fourth game. Adv Ashutosh Potnis, Secretary, MSTTA; Shekhar Tongo, Vice-President, NDTTA; Adv Akhilesh Potnis, Secretary, NDTTA distributed prizes.
Praful Nandedkar conducted the proceedings.
RESULTS:
U-17 Girls Quarters: Anvi Karambelkar (THN, S9) bt Sukrati Sharma (THN, S1) 6-11, 11-2,
11-8, 12-10; Naisha Rewaskar (PNA, S5) bt Hrithika Madhur (THN, S4) 11-9, 11-5, 11-7; Ikshika Umate (NGP, S3) bt Sanvi Puranik (THN, S6) 12-10, 11-5, 11-8; Kavya Bhatt (THN, S7) bt Swara Karmarkar (NSK, S2)
11-5, 11-8, 11-7. Semi-finals: Naisha bt Anvi 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7; Kavya bt Ikshika 11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6. Final: Kavya bt Naisha 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7. U-17 Boys QFs: Kaustubh Girgaonkar (PNA, S1) bt Shreyas Mankeshwar (PNA, S9) 11-8,
11-8, 11-4; Shouren Soman (PNA, 12) bt Ishan Khandekar (PNA, S4) 11-5, 12-10, 11-6; Akanksh Sahoo (TST, S3) bt Neel Navare (PNA, S11) 11-7, 11-8, 11-8; Parth Magar (MCD, S2) bt Johan Cheliparmbil (THN, S7) 11-9,
11-6, 16-14. Semi-finals: Shouren bt Kaustubh 12-10, 11-5, 8-11,
4-11, 11-6; Parth bt Akanksh
11-6, 11-7, 11-5. Final: Shouren bt Parth 11-7, 12-10, 11-6.