Their title-winning efforts fetched them Rs. 66,000 and Rs.
55,000, respectively.
Amalraj, who had won two zonal titles last year, began well
and kept himself in the hunt throughout, particularly after the semifinal win
over longtime friend and Chennai mate G. Sathiyan 4-3. As compared to the
earlier outing, the final against southpaw Sanil Shetty was rather easy despite
the two going at a good pace.
Though Amalraj opened with a first-game loss, he was quick
enough size up his rival’s game plan and hit the groove nicely. In the fourth,
however, Shetty made good efforts to put up some fight and even managed to
extend Amalraj a bit. But once Amalraj led 3-1, it was all over bar the
shouting for Shetty as he was allowed the liberty of just two points in the
fifth game.
Elated Madhurika
It was a good beginning to the season by Madhurika Patkar as
she had completed missed a ranking title last season. The season before in
2014, she just had a title (East Zone) to show which she had won at Siliguri.
But, as Madhuri later admitted, she had a nervous second-round start against
six-time national champion Paulomi Ghatak, who was returning after motherhood.
Madhurika passed that test and followed it up with a tough
match against Suthirtha Mukherjee in the quarterfinals earlier in the day.
Having crossed the two barriers, it was a little easy for the determined PSPB
player, even though Pooja made her work for points.
“I thought the second round match against Paulomi was tough
because she is such an experienced player I had to be careful. Suthirtha too
played well and was posing a lot of problems. But those two wins gave me the
confidence in the final as I was determined not to let the trophy go off my
hands,” said Madhurika.
The biggest upset of the day, however, was that of top-seed
Manika Batra, who is also the reigning national champion. After the exit of No.
2 seed Mouma Das, who is bound for Olympics at Rio
in August, yesterday Manika followed her today. Losing in early rounds was not
a big sin but the way she lost to Pooja Sahasabuddhe, without even putting up a
semblance of fight surprised everyone. But one cannot take away the credit from
Pooja as she had a nice rhythm going her way. However hard Manka tried, she
could not make a match of it.
Double for Manav
Manav Thakkar, who won the Junior Boys title yesterday, beat
West Bengal ’s Arjun Ghosh 4-1 in the Youth
Boys final to complete a double. The PSPB
Academy
Archana Kamath, who could not defend the Junior title, made
amends to regain the Youth Girls title beating her AAI colleague Sreeja Akula
4-1. Archana had won the Youth title at Agra
in the same event two seasons ago. “I was a bit upset when I could not
progress in the junior event. I was feeling the pressure. But I am happy I
could hit it off in the Youth final. I had a nice flow and getting my strokes
right,” said Archana.
Results:
Men’s Singles: Final: A. Amalraj (PSPB) bt Sanil Shetty
(PSPB) 4-1 (5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 13-11, 11-2);Semifinals: A. Amalraj bt G.
Sathiyan (PSPB) 4-3 (12-10, 9 -11, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6), Sanil Shetty
bt Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 4-2 (11-6, 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 5-11, 15-13); Quarterfinals:
Amalraj bt Subhajit Saha (PSPB) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8), Sathiyan bt Utkarsh Gupta
(Del) 4-2 (11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-6), Sanil Shetty bt Sudhanshu
Grover (PSPB) 4-2 (11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 12-114, 11-8, 11-7), Harmeet Desai bt
Jubin Kumar (Har) 4-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7).
Women’s Singles: Final: Madhurika Patkar (PSPB) bt
Pooja Sahasrabuddhe (PSPB) 4-2 (12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-8); Semifinals:
Pooja Sahasrabuddhe bt Manika Batra (PSPB) 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4),
Madhurika Patkar bt Shruti Amrute (Mah-B) 4-2 (14-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11,
11-5);Quarterfinals: Manika Batra bt Frenz Chipia (AAI) 4-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7,
11-4), Pooja Sahasrabuddhe bt K. Shamini (PSPB) 4-3 (11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11,
15-13m 11-8, 11-6), Madhurika Patkar bt Suthirtha Mukherjee (WB) 4-2 (14-12,
11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5), Shruti Amrute bt Reeth Rishya (PSPB) 4-1
(11-3, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2).
Youth Boys: Final: Manav Thakkar (PSPBA) bt Arjun Ghosh
(WB) 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7);Semifinals: Arjun Ghosh bt Ronit Bhanja
(AAI) 4-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8), Manav Thakkar bt Utkarsh Gupta (Del)
4-3 (11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9); Quarterfinals: Ronit
Bhanja bt Jeet Chandra (WB) 4-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6), Arjun Ghosh bt Birdie
Boro (PSPB) 4-3 (11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-7), Utkarsh Gupa bt
Lalrin Puia (Miz) 4-3 (5-11, 11-4, 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10), Manav
Thakkar bt Abhishek Yadav (PSPB) 4-2 (11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7).
Youth Girls: Final: Archana G. Kamath (AAI) bt Sreeja
Akula (AAI) 4-1 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-1);Semifinals: Archana Kamath bt
Ayhika Mukherjee (AAI) 4-2 (11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6), Sreeja Akula
(AAI) bt Manushree Patil (Mah-A) 4-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5); Quarterfinals:
Ayhika Mukherjee bt Priyanka Pareek (Raj) 4-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3), Archana
Kamath bt Priyadarshini Das (WB) 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7), Manushree Patil bt
Tanishi Kirtani (Goa) 4-0 (11-8, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3), Sreeja Akula bt S.
Seleenadeepthi (AAI) 4-1 (5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8).
Pic captions:
1. Women's singles champion Madhurika Patkar (third from
left) along with other medallists
2.Men's champion Anthony Amalraj (second from left) along
with other medallists.
Photo and news: TTFI
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