Manav Thakkar, Sreeja Akula win singles titles at UTT National-ranking table tennis championships
Top-seeded Manav Thakkar defeated G. Sathiyan 4-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-0 (conceded) to lift the men’s singles trophy while Akula Sreeja (Reserve Bank of India) clinched the honours in women’s singles, getting the better of Archana Kamath (PSPB) 6-11, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10 in the UTT National-ranking table tennis championship at Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium in Vijayawada on Saturday.
Sathiyan, the second seed and reigning national champion, conceded the match in the sixth game when he was trailing 0-2 because of a back spasm.
Archana had things going her way in the final against top seed Sreeja. Leading 3-1, she failed to press home the advantage. The second seed led 10-8 in the decider but failed to nail it down when the opportunity presented itself. She allowed Sreeja four consecutive points from that position.
THE RESULTS
Men’s singles
Final: Manav Thakkar (PSPB) bt G. Sathiyan (PSPB) 4-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-0 (conceded).
Semifinals: Manav Thakkar bt Anthony Amalraj (PSPB) 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7; G. Sathiyan bt Sourav Saha (PSPB) 11-3, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 12-14, 11-6.
Youth boys
Final: Sarth Mishra (UP) bt Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 9-11, 4-11, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10, 14-10.
Semifinals: Sarth Mishra bt Jash Modi (Maha) 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-1; Divyansh Srivastava bt K.J. Aakash (AAI) 11-3, 4-11, 11-8, 11-4.
Women’s singles
Final: Sreeja Akula (RBI) bt Archana Kamath (PSPB) 6-11, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10.
Semifinals: Sreeja Akula bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (RSPB) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 10-12, 11-7; Archana Kamath bt Ayhika Mukherjee (RBI) 11-5, 11-9, 11-1, 11-9.
Youth girls
Final: Pritha Vartikar (Maha) bt Sampada Bhiwandkar (Maha) 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 1-9.
Semifinals: Sampada Bhiwandkar bt Nandini Saha (WB) 11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6; Pritha Vartikar bt Kavyashree Baskar (TN) 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4.