Maharashtra State TT: Unseeded Mandar Hardikar Stuns Second Seed Shounak Shinde To Set Up Final with Raegan Albuquerque

Unseeded Mandar Hardikar (TSTTA) upset the applecart of second seed Shounak Shinde (Pune), registering a 4-0 win to storm into the final of the men's singles section of the Khar Gymkhhana-Maharashtra State Prize-Money Table Tennis tournament 2025-2026, which is being played at the Khar Gymkhana. This tournament is being organised under the auspices of the MSTTA (Maharashtra State Table Tennis Association).

Shounak played second fiddle right through against the attack-minded Mandar, who romped to an 11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11 win. Mandar will now take on top seed Raegan Albuquerque (TSTTA), who got the better of Zubin Taraporwala (Thane) 4-1 (11-9, 11-8, 13-15, 12-10, 11-4).

The women's singles group also witnessed a major upset, with unseeded Kheya Shah (TSTTA) scoring an upset win over top-seeded Shweta Parte Nayak (Mum City) 4-1 (4-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7, 11-5).

Top seed Shweta was caught off guard as Kheya attacked on both flanks, securing a well-deserved win. Kheya will take on second seed Sampada Bhiwandkar (TSTTA), who had things her way and tamed teammate Shravani Loke (TSTTA) 4-0 (14-12, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7).

There were also upsets in the other section. The top two seeds, Anoushka Patil and Shravani Loke, crashed out in the penultimate round. Arpita Borhade (Mum City) upset top seed Anoushka Patil (Thane) 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-5) while Sukrati Sharma (Thane) upended second seed Shravani Loke (TSTTA) 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7).

Earlier, the talented Thane paddler Sukrati also advanced to the girls’ under-17 as she outplayed Prisha Daga (TSTTA) in straight games winning at 11-9, 11-4, and 11-1. Sukrati will clash with Ayushi Shirgaonkar (TSTTA) who defeated Sara Ramaiya (TSTTA) 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 13-11).

Top seed Arnav Kshirsagar (TSTTA) rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome compatriot Param Bhiwandkar (TSTTA) 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4) in the under-19 boys singles to take his place in the final. In the other semi-final, Ayush Sonawane (TSTTA) was superior to Daksh Talwar (TSTTA), winning 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-6).

Results (all semi-finals)

Girls’ U-11 singles: Aadya Baheti (Prabhani) bt Aeyanah Sanganeria (Mum City) 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-1); Swara Gudekar (Mum City) bt Samrudhi Manvekar (Kolhapur) 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 13-15, 11-8).

Boys’ U-11 singles: Adhiraj Chauhan (Thane) bt Aadi Shah (Mum City) 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3); Yuvaan Walia (Mum City) bt Avyaan Walia (Mum City) 3-1 (11-13, 11-3, 12-10, 11-4).

Girls’ U-13 singles: Palakh Jhawar (TSTTA) bt Aadya Baheti (Prabhani) 3-2 (11-9, 12-10, 5-11, 9-11, 11-7); Jinaya Vadhan (Thane) bt Dnyanashree Tarde (Thane) 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6).

Boys’ U-13 singles: Ayaan Athar (TSTTA) bt Yuvraj Khandwala (TSTTA) 3-1 (8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7); Raghav Mahajan (TSTTA) bt Swaraj Redkar (TSTTA) 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-7).

Girls’ U-15 singles: Saisha Madhur (Thane) bt Sara Ramaiya (TSTTA) 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-2); Sara Jamsutkar (Mum City) bt Dnyanashree Tarde (Thane) 3-2 (11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10).

Boys’ U-15 singles: Param Bhiwandkar (TSTTA) bt Aakarshan Yadav (TSTTA) 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-4); Ahan Gosar (TSTTA) bt Divyansh Rathod (Thane) 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-4).

Girls’ U-17 singles: Sukrati Sharma (Thane) bt Prisha Daga (TSTTA) 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-1); Ayushi Shirgaonkar (TSTTA) bt Sara Ramaiya (TSTTA) 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 13-11).

Boys’ U-17 singles: Akanksh Sahoo (TSTTA) bt Vivek Rohera (TSTTA) 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5); Ahan Gosar (TSTTA) bt Agastya Shetty (TSTTA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-4).

Girls’ U-19 singles: Arpita Borhade (Mum City) bt 1-Anoushka Patil (Thane) 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-5); Sukrati Sharma (Thane) bt 2-Shravani Loke (TSTTA) 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7).

Boys’ U-19 singles: 1-Arnav Kshirsagar (TSTTA) bt Param Bhiwandkar (TSTTA) 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4); Ayush Sonawane (TSTTA) bt Daksh Talwar (TSTTA) 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-6).

Women’s singles: Kheya Shah (TSTTA) bt 1-Shweta Parte Nayak (Mum City) 4-1 (4-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7, 11-5);

2-Sampada Bhiwandkar (TSTTA) bt Shravani Loke (TSTTA) 4-0 (14-12, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7);

Men’s singles: Raegan Albuquerque (TSTTA) bt Zubin Taraporwala (Thane) 4-1 (11-9, 11-8, 13-15, 12-10, 11-4); Mandar Hardikar (TSTTA) bt Shounak Shinde (Pune) 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11).