Vivaan Shah after a hesitant start and losing the first game staged a spirited fight back to overcome Ness Billimoria 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, and 11-3 in a men’s first round match, contested between CCI teammates, in the 78th CCI-Western India Slam Squash Championship 2023, organized by the Cricket Club of India (CCI) under the auspices of the SRFI (Squash Rackets Federation of India) at the CCI squash courts on Monday.
Meanwhile, CCI’s upcoming talent Ansh Somani played well to defeat his club-mate Ranvir Bhatia in three games at 11-4, 11-2, and 11-4 in a boys’ under-15 first round match.
Later, Rishabh Goyal repelled a late charge from Dev Sangoi clinching a hard-fought 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, and 11-2 win in an engrossing boys’ under-15 encounter. Dev unfortunately sustained an injury to his right knee at the start of the fifth game and was in discomfort, but bravely fought on before losing the game and the match.
Earlier, in a boys’ under-11 encounter, CCI’s Shaurya Bakshi played with plenty of determination to overcome Vrishank Mehta in four games 11-7, 4-11, 11-3, and 11-7.
In an interesting boys’ under-11 first round match, Saansh Malhotra fought back to put it across Shaunik Malhotra 4-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-1, and 11-2.
Result - Boys U-11 (Round-64): Vedant Shinde bt Vihaan Taparia (MH) 11-9, 11-7, 11-9; Vivaan Chadha (AUS) bt Yuvir Sheth (MH) 11-5, 11-2, 11-4; Kabir Chawla (TN) bt Advik Mhatre (MH) 11-2, 11-9, 11-3; Ansh Malhotra (MH) bt Vedansh Gupta (MH) 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6;
Boys U-13 (Round 64): Kiaan Kulkarni (MH) bt Aaren Malhotra (MH) 11-1, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7; Aniruddh Rajesh (MH) bt Rudra Singh (MH) 13-11, 12-10, 11-1; Viraj Saran (MH) V Hitansh Seth (MH) 11-5, 11-4, 11-6;
Boys U-15 (Round 64): Rishabh Goyal (MH) bt Dev Sangoi (MH) 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-2; Hridaan Shah (MH) bt Ali Merchant (MH) 11-1, 11-8, 11-6; Parth Tiwari (KA) bt Samvir Sujan (USA) 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7; Yohaan Marda (UK) bt Arjun Kejriwal (MH) 11-6, 11-8, 11-1; Kavish Bhasin (MH) bt Ishaan Subramanian (MH) 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9; Dhanvin Shroff (MH) bt Hridhay Haria (MH) 11-9, 11-5, 11-3; Arnav Agarwal (MH) bt Rajil Kazmi (MH) 11-8, 11-6, 11-3.
Men: Vivaan Shah (MH) bt Ness Billimoria (MH) 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-3; Mishall Daruvala (MH) bt Anirrudh Joshi (MH) 11-1, 11-1, 11-6; Bhagwan Das (MH) bt Pratik Sharma (MH) 11-0, 11-2, 11-0;
