Raayisha Naik, displaying unwavering resilience, showcased her fighting spirit in an intense all-Maharashtra girls’ under-13 round of 16 match at the 78th CCI-Western India Slam Squash Championship 2023.
Despite losing the initial two games, Naik mounted a remarkable comeback, securing a thrilling victory against Dhriti Sharma with scores of 10-12, 5-11, 11-2, 11-5, and 11-3. Organized by the Cricket Club of India (CCI) under the auspices of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), the match unfolded on Wednesday at the CCI squash courts.
Yusuf Pardiwala, a promising talent from Maharashtra, dominated his compatriot Kanav Dalal in a boys’ under-13 last 16 match, clinching victory in straight games with scores of 11-3, 11-2, and 11-6. Meanwhile, in a boys’ under-15 pre-quarter-final match, second seed Varun Shah of England, a CCI courts trainee, breezed through his competition against Maharashtra's Arnav Dharia, securing an easy 11-6, 11-5, and 11-5 win to advance to the quarter-finals.
In the women's category, second-seeded Janet Vidhi of Maharashtra prepared for upcoming challenges by swiftly defeating compatriot Shibhani Shirwadkar in three quick games with scores of 11-4, 11-1, and 11-1.
On another front, Haryana's Devashree Arora faced a formidable challenge from Goa’s Nimrit Pasricha in a Girls’ under-15 round of 16 match. Arora managed to emerge victorious with a closely contested 11-4, 12-14, 11-8, 10-12, and 11-7 win.
In the boys’ under-19 round of 16 encounters, Tamil Nadu’s joint 3/4-seed Sandhesh Pr rallied to overcome Dishant Murjani of Rajasthan with scores of 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, and 11-3. Simultaneously, on a side court, Rajasthan’s Avalokit Singh secured success after losing the first game against Karnataka’s Adeev Devaiah, claiming an 8-11, 11-8, 11-2, and 11-6 victory.
