With two paddlers from each group qualifying for the main
draw, a couple of more Indians making the grade are very much in the realm of
possibility. However, a clear picture about that likelihood will be known only
after the last set of matches to be played later this evening.
Nevertheless, two boys—Arjun Ghosh and Rohit
Rajasekhar—brought broad smiles and a lot of cheers on an otherwise a lengthy
and dreary day at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium with their courageous
performances. Taking advantage of their fifth and six entries as hosts, they
made most of the opportunity that was provided to them.
Making their maiden appearances on the international scene,
Arjun Ghosh and Rohit Rajasekhar delighted the home supporters, surprising
their experienced opponents. What was striking about them was the way the duo
displayed their skillful feat, toppling the more experienced Czechs.
In fact, Czech paddlers may not have anticipated something
of this sort. Ghosh downed Michal Benes 15-13, 11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 16-14 to keep
the Indian interest alive but what brought down the roof was Rohit’s class act.
The match against Jakub Seibert not only kept the spectators glued to their
seats, but even forced some of them lose a lot of nails as Rohit won by the
thinnest of margins. Down 1-3, Rohit staged an excellent recovery to stun his
opponent with a seven-game win 4-11, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9.
At the end of a one and a half hours duel, the 14-year-old
Ghosh paid tributes to his coach. “My coach told me to take advantage of Banes’
weak backhand and keep keeping the ball in play before going for the kill,” he
said. Coach Bhawani Mukherjee said he told Ghosh to serve in the middle of the
table and use short spin services.
The 16-year-old Rohit, unlike Ghosh, took his time to get
used to the pace of his opponent. However hard he tried to slow down the game,
the Indian was caught unawares at times. But some advice from the coach to keep
his rival engaged saved the day for him. Rohit later admitted his folly of not
able to adjust to the backhand drives of Seibert. “I realized his backhand was
too strong for me so I had to play more to the centre and to the forehand.”
Manika Batra had an easy meat in Yousra Helmy of Egypt , winning her match 14-12, 11-5, 12-10,
11-4 and the Indian got a walkover from Lucia Truksova of Slovakia to
move into the main draw.
The other qualifiers among boys are Chiu Chung Hei (Hkg),
Choi Deo Khwa (Kor), Jang Woo Jin (Kor), Xu Chenhao (Chn), Jakub Dyjas (Pol),
Leonardu Mutti (Ita), Frederik Jost (Ger), Konrad Kulpa (Pol), David Reitspies
(Cze), Clerence Chew Zhe Yu (Sin), Tamas Lakatos (Hun), Kim Min Hyeok (Kor),
Marc Rode (Ger), Hung Ka Tak (Hkg), Lim Jong Hoon (Kor), Liao Cheng-Ting (Tpe),
Ondrej Bajger (Cze), Luka Fucec (Cro), Omar Bedair (Egy) and Adam Szudi (Hun).
As for the girls, Britt Eeerland (Ned), Lee Ching Wan
(Hkg), Miyu Kato (Jpn), Nina Mittelham (Ger), Yumi Jung (Kor), Bernadett Balint
(Rou), Lea Rakovac (Cro), Lee Dasom (Kor), Theresa Kraft (Ger), Marina Berho
(Fra), Alina Arlouskaya (Blr), Sandra Wabik (Pol), Minnie Soo Wai Yam (Hkg),
Katsiary Baravok (Blr), Laura Pfefer (Fra), Lam Yee Lok (Hkg), Chiu Ssu-Hua
(Tpe), Yousra Helmy (Egy) and Carelyn Cordero (Pur).
Results: (Only Indians):
Group 2: Li Ching Wan (Hkg) bt Ayhika Mukerjee 12-10, 12-10,
11-4, 11-6; Group 3: Miyu Kato (jpn) bt T. Reeth Rishya 11-6, 1-13, 11-6,
11-7; Group 5: Yumi Jung (Kor) bt Suthirtha Mukherjee 11-8, 11-7, 11-8,
10-12, 12-10; Group 6: Bernadett Balint (Rou) bt Mallika Bhandarkar 4-11,
10-12, 11-3, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8; Group 8: Dasom Lee (Kor) bt Karnam
Spoorthy 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7; Group 13: Manika Batra bt
Yousra Helmy (Egy) 14-12, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4, Manika Batra got a walkover from
Lucia Truksova of Slovakia.
Group2: Choi Deo Khwa (Kor) bt Utkarsh Gupta 11-6, 11-2,
11-8, 11-9; Group 4: Xu Chenhao (Chn) bt Abhishek Yadav 11-2, 11-4, 11-6,
11-6; Group 7: Frederic Jost (Ger) bt Sudhanshu Grover 11-1,
11-5, 10-12, 13-11, 10-12, 14-12 11-3; Group 16: Lim Jong Hoon (Kor) bt
Sabhay Virmani 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4; Group 22: Arjun Ghosh bt Michal
Benes (Cze) 15-13, 15-6, 15-8, 4-11, 16-14; Group 23: Rohit Rajasekhar bt
Jakub Seibert (Cze) 4-11, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9.
A TTFI Press release
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