Panchkula: In a highly anticipated showdown, former national champion G. Sathiyan clinched the men’s singles title at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, held at the Tau Devi Lal Indoor Multipurpose Hall. The PSPB player, in search of crucial national ranking points, overcame a tough journey to the final, but once there, he found his rhythm and put on an impressive display of skill to defeat Delhi’s Payas Jain 4-1.
The final proved to be an exciting encounter, with Payas Jain’s relentless spirit and never-say-die attitude constantly keeping Sathiyan on edge. The match featured some breathtaking rallies, with the young Delhi player refusing to back down. However, despite his resilience Sathiyan triumphed.
Sutirtha Mukherjee carried her impressive form from the Goa tournament into the final of the women’s singles, where she faced a tough challenge from Maharashtra’s Taneesha Kotecha. Despite the final scoreline suggesting a one-sided affair, the match was far from straightforward in its early stages. Taneesha made an aggressive start, narrowly losing the first game and then intensifying her efforts in the second and third, forcing Sutirtha into a defensive position. Her sharp and relentless play put the former national champion on the back foot, with Sutirtha facing a real test of her skills and composure.
However, her experience proved the key factor as Sutirtha weathered the storm, and turned the tide in the longer third and fourth games. Her strategic play and resilience allowed her to regain control, eventually taking a commanding lead. Taneesha, though impressive in stretches, could not keep up the momentum, and it became clear that Sutirtha would emerge victorious. The Railways player held her nerve to clinch the title, securing her second consecutive championship in style.
Payas secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over SFR Snehit in a gripping contest in the Men’s Singles semifinals. The match saw both players showcasing their resilience, with Payas winning the final set 11-5 after an intense battle. Payas’ confidence grew after winning the previous game 12-10 after the deuce.
In the other semifinal, Sathiyan triumphed over Ankur Bhattacharjee with a 4-2 win. Sathiyan made a strong comeback after losing the first and fourth sets, clinching the match with game scores of 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, despite the resistance in the sixth game.
Payas defeated Sudhanshu Grover 3-2 in a closely contested quarterfinal that saw some tense moments, including an overzealous outburst from Sudhanshu’s coach, Anshul Garg. The coach narrowly avoided a red card and expulsion from the stadium due to his actions, thanks to lenient umpires.
Snehit comfortably beat Anirban Ghosh 3-0, while Ankur Bhattacharjee overcame Akash Pal 3-1. Sathiyan also battled through a tight contest, edging past P.B. Abhinand 3-2. The Chennai boy gave some torrid moments before being subdued.
Sutirtha produced a thrilling 4-2 victory over Swastika Ghosh in the semifinals. After losing the first game 6-11, Sutirtha bounced back to win three consecutive games, but Swastika fought hard to win the fifth. However, Sutirtha won the next 15-13 on her third match point and shut out any possible threat from the AAI paddler. Taneesha defeated Anusha Kutumbale 4-2 in the second semifinal clash, overcoming a slow start.
In the quarterfinals, Swastika Ghosh defeated Suhana Saini 3-1, Sutirtha had a dominant 3-0 win over Lakshita Narang, Anusha won a tense 3-2 match against Yashaswini Ghorpade, and Taneesha was impressive in her 3-0 victory over Sneha Bhowmick.
Results:
Men’s singles: Final: G. Sathiyan (PSPB) bt Payas Jain (Del) 11-2, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10.
Semifinals: Payas bt SFR Snehit (Telg) 11-4, 5-11, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5; Sathiyan bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (PSPB) 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5.
Quarterfinals: Payas bt Sudhanshu Grover (Del) 3-2; Snehit bt Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) 3-0; Ankur bt Akash Pal (RSPB) 3-1; Sathiyan bt P.B Abhinand (TN) 3-2.
Women’s singles: Final: Sutirtha Mukherjee (RSPB) bt Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) 11-9, 12-10, 14-12, 11-5.
Semifinals: Sutirtha bt Swastika Ghosh (AAI) 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 12-10, 10-12, 15-13; Taneesha bt Anusha Kutumbale (RSPB) 10-12, 12-10, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7.
Quarterfinals: Swastika bt Suhana Saini (Har) 3-1; Sutirtha bt Lakshita Narang (AAI) 3-0; Anusha bt Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) 3-2; Taneesha bt Sneha Bhowmick (Har) 3-0.
