UPSETS: Ayhika, Manav bow out

UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships

Margao (Team Newsbuddy): : On a day filled with surprises at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium in Navelim, the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships delivered a series of dramatic twists and turns that left fans and players alike on the edge of their seats.

The tournament’s favourites faced early exits, with top seed Ayhika Mukherjee and second seed Poymantee Baishya falling short of expectations. Their unexpected departures have opened the door for a thrilling showdown, as fifth seed Moumita Datta, ninth seed Suhana Saini and 11th seed Swastika Ghosh also succumbed in the Round of 16, showcasing the fierce competitiveness and unpredictability that defines this exhilarating sport.

The early exits were not limited to the women’s bracket. Several top seeds in the men’s singles, including top-seed Manav Thakkar, third-seeded G. Sathiyan, fourth-seed Jeet Chandra, and fifth-seed Anthony Amalraj faced early eliminations. Although Sathiyan and SFR Snehit survived the Round of 64, they could not advance further.

Manav fought back from 0-10 but P.B. Abhinand of Tamil Nadu pulled it off at 12-0 in the second game of their pre-quarterfinals. From there, the Tamil Nadu Under-19 paddler had the upper hand and, despite dropping the third game, battled it out to win the last two games to notch up a fine 3-11, 14-12, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 triumph.

However, Kaushani Nath, who had pulled off a stunning upset against Ayhika, continued her impressive run with a hard-fought victory over Divya Deshpande. In a thrilling match, Kaushani triumphed with scores of 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4,11-6, showcasing remarkable resilience by winning the last two games.

As the turn of events panned out, Haryana’s Suhana Saini struggled against Jennifer Verghese of Maharashtra, winning just one game before being eliminated. Meanwhile, Swastika Ghosh made a valiant attempt to rally back from a 0-2 deficit against sixth seed Sutirtha Mukherjee, but ultimately fell short in a closely contested decider.

The 12th seed, Anusha Kutumbale, staged a remarkable comeback against Moumita in an all-Railways pre-quarterfinal match. After falling behind 0-2, Anusha found her rhythm to turn the tables in a contest featuring impressive rallies. Showcasing her determination, Anusha clinched the last three games in a row, securing her place in the quarterfinals with an inspiring victory.

Kaushani Nath’s path to victory was marked by her ability to adapt. After losing the first game, she turned the tide with a strong defensive and offensive strategy, overcoming Ayhika’s attempts to slow the game down. Despite squandering five match points, Kaushani secured her place in the next round with scores of 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 17-15.

In another notable match, unseeded Nithyashree Mani of Tamil Nadu faced 10th seed Reeth Rishya, who struggled to find her rhythm and ultimately succumbed to Nithyashree’s relentless attack. Veteran Mouma Das let a crucial R-32 match slip away, wasting six match points against Divya Deshpande, who rallied back to win.

Manav Thakkar, the top seed in the men’s singles, had a shaky start, losing the first game 1-11 to Raegan Albuquerque before regrouping to secure victory. However, Jeet Chandra, Anthony Amalraj, and Payas Jain all fell in the Round of 64, with Sathiyan battling hard but ultimately falling to young talent Shankhadip Das.