Vadodara: Maharashtra paddlers Samruddhi Kulkarni and Vidhi Shah notched-up contrasting victories to set up U-19 girls singles semi-finals against each other at the UTT 65th National School Games Table Tennis Championships, under the aegis of School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at Sama Indoor Sports Stadium in Vadodara on Monday.
While Samruddhi wrapped up quarter-final 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 with an ease against Gujarat’s Kavisha Parekh, Vidhi had to fight hard against Tamil Nadu’s J Maria Ancy during her 12-10, 11-4, 14-16, 4-11, 11-9 win in the five-set contest.
Earlier in the day, Gujarat boy Nandish Halani produced a sensational performance to cause a major upset when he defeated national champion and India No. 2 Delhi’s Adarsh Chetri 3-2 in the U-17 boys singles pre-quarterfinals.
However, Nandish’s impressive run in the tournament came to an end after he suffered 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 defeat at the hands of CISCE’s Rajveer Shah in the quarter-finals later.
Delhi’s Payas Jain also entered semi-finals after recovering well from the first-set loss to wrap up a hard-fought quarter-final 13-11, 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 against Gujarat’s Chitrax Bhatt.
Results (quarter-finals)
Girls (U-17): V Bhargaava (DLI) bt T Gulshan (HRN) 13-11, 3-11, 7-11, 11-4, 14-12; A Murad (GUJ) bt T Purohit (KNT) 8-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5; DK Vedhalakshmi (TN) bt L Narang (DLI) 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6; M Kundu (WB) bt N Jayswal (GUJ) 11-2, 12-14, 11-5, 11-7.
Under-19: T Kohli (DLI) bt A Sinha (MHR) 3-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6; T Kamble (MHR) bt A Patwardhan (MHR) 11-6, 13-11, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7; S Kulkarni (MHR) bt K Parekh (GUJ) 11-7, 11-5, 11-5; V Shah (MHR) bt J M Ancy (TN) 12-10, 11-4, 14-16, 4-11, 11-9.
Boys (U-17): Y Malik (DLI) bt Samvak Kashvad (IBSSO) 13-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-7; Aniket Choudhary (WB) bt Khelendrajit Yengkhom (RAJ) 11-6, 11-6, 11-8; Rajveer Shah (CISCE) bt Nandish Halani (GUJ) 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8; Payas Jain (DLI) bt Chitrax Bhatt (GUJ) 13-11, 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8.
Under-19: Shrevaans Goel (DLI) bt Agniv Gohain (ASM) 11-5, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8; Abir Roy (WB) bt Vansh Singhal (CBSE) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5; Akash Pal (WB) bt Vidit Desai (GUJ) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9; Wesley Do Rosario (HRN) bt Tamal Ballav (WB) 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6.
