Shriya stuns Sutirtha, Sathiyan, Payas enter semis

Dehradun (Team Newsbuddy): The penultimate day of the 38th National Games table tennis events witnessed a mix of expected victories and surprising upsets in the event quarterfinals at the Parade Ground Indoor Hall. While top-seeded G. Sathiyan of Tamil Nadu and second-seed Payas Jain of Delhi moved into the men’s singles semifinals with identical 3-1 wins, the women’s singles event saw a major upset as unseeded Shriya Anand of Tamil Nadu shocked top-seeded Sutirtha Mukherjee 3-1 to book her place in the last four.

Sathiyan faced eighth-seed Ronit Bhanja of West Bengal and controlled the match to secure his spot in the semis. Similarly, Payas outplayed seventh-seed Anirban Ghosh, displaying a composed performance to win by the same margin. The men’s draw also saw two significant upsets, with unseeded Jash Modi of Maharashtra and P.B. Abhinand of Tamil Nadu eliminating seeded opponents. Jash fought back from 1-2 down to outlast sixth-seed Anthony Amalraj 3-2 in a gripping contest, while Abhinand overpowered fourth-seed Akash Pal 3-1, sealing a well-earned place in the semifinals.

In the women’s singles, Swastika Ghosh, the second seed from Maharashtra, and fifth-seeded Selena Deepthi Selvakumar of Tamil Nadu advanced to the semifinals, joined by Pritha Vartikar and Shriya Anand. Swastika defeated Poaymantee Baisya 3-1, adjusting her game efficiently after dropping the second game, while Selena dominated Lakshita Narang of Delhi in a straight-game victory. Pritha, too, made it through by defeating fellow Maharashtrian Sayali Wani 3-0 in a clinical display. However, Shriya produced the biggest upset of the tournament, stunning top-seed Sutirtha Mukherjee. Despite Sutirtha levelling the match at 1-1 after losing the opener, Shriya maintained relentless pressure with aggressive shot-making, leaving the former national champion struggling to find her rhythm. Even as Sutirtha fought back in the fourth game and saved a match point, Shriya held her nerve to close the match 3-1, marking a defining moment in her young career.

Semifinals and finals will be played today.

The men’s quarterfinal between Jash Modi and Amalraj was another gripping contest. The experienced Amalraj led 2-1 and seemed to have the match under control, but Jash raised his level, engaging in long, high-intensity rallies and using clever placements to turn the match in his favour. In the deciding game, he held his composure to edge past Amalraj, winning 3-2 in a thriller.

Diya-Swastika duo strikes gold

The day also saw Maharashtra’s Swastika Ghosh and Diya Chitale clinch the women’s doubles gold, staging a remarkable comeback against Tamil Nadu’s Nithyashree Mani and Kavyashree Baskar. The Maharashtra duo trailed 0-2 but made crucial tactical adjustments to shift the momentum. But the Tamil Nadu pair, despite holding a comfortable lead, struggled to sustain their level and made costly errors, allowing Swastika and Diya to force a decider. By the fifth game, the Maharashtra duo had complete control, sealing a 3-2 victory to claim the title.

TN pairs finish 1-2

Experienced players G. Sathiyan and Anthony Amalraj staged a strong comeback to defeat young talents P.B. Abhinand and S. Preyesh Raj in an all-Tamil Nadu men’s doubles final, clinching the gold with a 3-2 victory. The match was balanced at 2-2, with the younger duo leading 5-4 at the changeover. However, Sathiyan and Amalraj held their nerve, using their experience to outmanoeuvre Abhinand and Preyesh, who settled for silver.

Despite the loss, Tamil Nadu’s Nithyashree and Kavyashree earned a silver medal, contributing to the state’s impressive medal tally. Tamil Nadu has already sealed one gold and one silver in men’s doubles, with four bronze medals in singles events assured. Additionally, their men’s team had earlier clinched a bronze medal in the team event, ensuring a strong finish at the National Games.

Results:

Men’s Singles: Quarterfinals: G. Sathiyan (TN) bt Ronit Bhanja (WB) 11-3, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7; P.B. Abhinand (TN) bt Akash Pal (WB) 17-15, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10; Jash Modi (Mah) bt A. Amalraj (TN) 11-5, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9.

Pre-quarterfinals: Sathiyan bt Siddhesh Pande (Mah) 3-0; Ronit Bhanja bt Abhishek Yadav (UP) 3-0; Abhinand bt Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 3-1; Aakash Pal bt Aniket Sen Choudhury (WB) 3-0; Jash Modi bt Chinmaya Somaiya (Mah) 3-0; A. Amalraj bt Shivjit Singh Lamba (Del) 3-0; Anirban Ghosh bt Sarth Mishra (UP) 3-1; Payas Jain bt Raegan Albuquerque (Mah) 3-2.

Doubles: Final: G. Sathiyan/A. Amalraj (TN) bt P.B. Abhinand/S. Preyesh Raj (TN) 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7.

Semifinals: Sathiyana/Amalraj bt Raegal Albuquerque/Siddhesh Pande (Mah) 3-1; Abhinand/Peyesh Raj bt Akash Pal/Ronit Bhanja (WB) 3-1.

Women’s Singles: Quarterfinals: Pritha Vartikar (Mah) bt Sayali Wani (Mah) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8; S. Selena Deepthi (TN) bt Lakshita Narang (Del) 12-10, 11-7, 11-4; Shriya Anand (TN) bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (WB) 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9; Swastika Ghosh (Mah) bt Poymantee Baisya (WB) 10-12, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8.

Pre-quarterfinals: Pritha bt Diya Chitale 3-2; Sayali Wanni bt Kavyashree Baskar (TN) 3-2; S. Selena Deepthi bt Mouma Das (WB) 3-1; Lakshita Narang bt Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) 3-2; Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Sneha Bhowmick (Har) 3-1; Shriya Anand bt Vanshika Bhargava (Del) 3-2; Poymantee Baisya (WB) bt Oishiki Joardar (Guj) 3-0; Swastika Ghosh bt Nithyashree Mani (TN) 3-2.

Doubles: Final: Swastika Ghosh/Diya Chitale (Mah) bt Nithyashree Mani/Kavyashree Baskar (TN) 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6.

Semifinals: Swastika/Diya bt Kaushani Nath/Prapti Sen (WB) 3-2, Nithyasree/Kavyashree bt Ayhika Mukherjee/Sutirtha Mukherjee (WB) 3-2.