Mumbai: Top-seeded Vivaan Bhatia of Maharashtra displayed tremendous fighting qualities as he recovered from the brink of defeat to overcome the joint third-fourth seed Dev Sharma also of Maharashtra 3-2, in the boys’ under-13 semi-final match of the 4th NSCI All India Open Squash Tournament, at the NSCI squash courts on Tuesday.
Vivaan took time to settle down and found his rhythm after conceding he opening two games to trail 0-2. Facing elimination, the number one seed Vivaan changed tactics and showed more aggression as he started to call the shots and went on to win the next three games in succession to snatch a well-deserved 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6 and 11-4 victory to take his place in the summit round. In the other semi-final, second seed Ekambir Singh of Maharashtra easily got past unseeded Siddharth Bhandari also of Maharashtra winning in straight games at 12-10, 11-8, 11-1.
Maharashtra’s Urwashi Joshi the top seed crashed out losing to unseeded Aishwarya Khubchandani also from Maharashtra in a long drawn five games in a women’s semi-final match. Khubchandani produced a strong challenge and managed to come out trumps pulling off a 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5 and 11-8 victory to secure a place in the final.
However, second seed Sachika Balvani of Maharashtra strolled into the final by recording an easy win against the third-fourth seed Sanika Choudhari 11-5, 11-8, 11-6.
In a boys’ under-19 semi-final encounter, Goa’s Yash Fadte the joint third-fought seed overcame Maharashtra’s second seed Rahul Baitha, who was yet to recover from his grueling five-game win against Sandeep Jangra in a men’s quarter-final match late Monday evening. The Goan lad Fadte had things under control but he was also guilty of making too many errors, which cost him the second game, before he managed to win the next two to complete a 11-4, 7-11, 11-5 and 11-4 win. In the final Fadte will clash with Tushar Shahani of Maharashtra who defeated Saksham Choudhary of Delhi 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 in the second semi-final.
Results (all semi-finals)
Girls (U-11): 1-A Gupta (MH) bt 3/4-A Shah (MH) 11-8, 11-3, 12-10; 5/8-A Dubey (MH) bt 3/4-C Saran (RJ) 4-11, 11-7, 13-11, 14-16, 11-8. Under-13: 1-U Tripathi (UK) bt 3/4-N Taneja (MH) 13-11, 11-5, 14-12; 3/4- A Singh (DL) bt 2-Khushboo (UP) 11-2, 11-8, 11-5. Under-15: 3/4 - K Bansal (MH) bt Deepika V (TN) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7; Under-17: 1 - A Dabke (MH) bt TJain (MH) 11-6, 11-4, 11-1; 2-A Khubchandani (MH) bt 3/4 - A Morey (MH) 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7. Under-19: 1 - N Sharma (MH) bt 3/4 - S Mattas (GA) 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2; 3/4 - B Goyal (MH) bt R S Seelan (TN) 12-10, 11-7, 11-2.
Boys (U-11): 1 - S Choudhary (RJ) bt 3/4 - D Parasrampuria (TN) 11-9, 11-7, 12-10; 2 - R Shah (MH) bt 3/4 - A Bansal (MH) 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6. Under-13: 2 - E Singh (MH) bt S Bhandari (MH) 12-10, 11-8, 11-1; 1- V Bhatia (MH) bt 3/4- D Sharma (MH) 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4. Under-15: 1 - P Ambani (MH) bt S Punjabi (MH) 11-1, 11-5, 3-0 Rtd; 2 - R Samant (MH) bt 3/4- V Shah (MH) 11-4, 3-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10. Under-17: 1 - A Sareen (MH) bt A Darukhanawalla (MH) 11-5, 11-1, 11-5; T Punjabi (MH) bt 2 - A Kumar (CH) 11-4, 11-9, 11-7. Under-19: T Shahani (MH) bt S Choudhary (DL) 11-9, 11-4, 11-6; 3/4 - Y Fadte (GA) bt 2 - R Baitha (MH) 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4.
Women: A Khubchandani bt 1-U Joshi 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8; 2 - S Balvani bt 3/4 - S Choudhari 11-5, 11-8, 11-6.
Men: 1 - A Pradhan (MH) bt R Baitha (MH) 11-8, 11-7, 11-4.
FPJ Sports Desk
