Narasimha Priya topples Manika, gets direct QF entry

Mumbai, October 18, 2013: Unseeded Narasimha Priya not only upset Manika Batra, ranked 30 in the world, with a 3-2 (11-9, 1-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7) verdict in a group 1 league match of the Junior Girls section, but also ensured herself a direct entry into the quarterfinals of the $8,000 Reliance India Junior and Cadet Open at the NSCI Stadium here today. 

  

Narasimha Priya, a last-minute replacement for Karnam Spoorthy in the championships, made most of the occasion to overcome the higher ranked Delhi player, who has had a mixed form so far. Manika’s inability to top the group also meant that she will have a faceoff with Chinese Xiaotong Sun first thing tomorrow morning. Priya, on the other hand, will have the advantage of avoiding one of the three Chinese in fray until the semifinals. Though Priya has one Chinese, Anqi Li, in her half she is safe until the last-four stage.

Narasimha Priya, who topped Group 1 started the match in a pulsating manner, winning the first game with minimum points. But the Chennai girl was rather too bad in the next in which she just about managed a solitary point as Manika finished off in double quick time. Priya went 2-1 up soon aftger before Manika took the next to level the score. In the decider, however, it was Priya all the way as too many unforced errors at the net by Manika saw the Chennai girl roll over her opponent.

“I was blocking well and my forehand shots fetched some crucial points for me today,” said Priya about her decider. “I went blank completely. I don’t know what happened,” added Priya about her second game which she lost badly.

With 108 singles matches in all four categories put together scheduled for the day, the paddlers had a bush day. As for the notable players, including the Chinese in the Junior Girls sections, their progress into the next stage was rather easy. Indeed, a few group matches did go the full distance, creating some excitement among the crowd.

Suthirtha Mukherjee, who led her group 2, too received a bye into the quarterfinals along with Senhora D’Souza while Yanmei Yang (China) from group 3 too benefited with a direct quarterfinal entry from the other half.

In Junior Boys section, where a lone Chinese Yuhao Wang made it to the main draw, both Sudhanshu Grover and Abhishek Yadav have been directly placed in the quarterfinals while the rest will the round of 16.

In Cadet Girls, Akul Sreeja, Sagarika Mukherjee, Moumita Dutta, CR Harshavardhini, Srushti Halengadi, Ashlesha Trehan, Shruti Amrute and Aishwaria Pathak have made it to the main draw while in Cadet Boys, Anirban Ghosh, Lalhunhlua, Yuhao Wang, Arjun Ghosh, Huabing He, Birdie Boro, Beizeng and Ayush Tayal all entered the main draw.  

A TTFI Press release