India’s top two paddlers Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran will face each other in the men’s singles summit clash of the PSPB Inter Unit Table Tennis Tournament.
Veteran Sharath (IOCL) rallied from a game down to win his semifinal match against talented youngster Ankur Bhattachajee 6-11 11-9 11-9 11-7 11-8 in the best of seven games format being followed.
In the other semifinal, reigning national champion Sathiyan (ONGC) found his form to beat teammate Saurabh Saha comfortably 4-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8).
The women’s semifinals saw youth taking on experience.
Talented junior Yashaswani Ghorpade (OIL) beat Divya Deshpande (ONGC) 4-2 (11-4, 11-8, 3-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9) in an intense encounter.
In the other semifinal, T Reeth Rishya (IOCL) took on teammate and junior Jennifer Verghees in a match which went the full distance to win 4-3.
It was a see-saw battle with Jennifer winning the first game comfortably 11-5. She then won the second game as well. Reeth took the third in a close game but lost the next one and it looked like Jennifer would win.
Reeth drew on her experience and with tremendous grit won the last three games and the match 4-3 (5-11, 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4).
In the veterans’ final, Pankaj Gupta (ONGC) will take on LV Thakre in the final after they both won their semifinal matches comfortably by identical margins of 3-1.
Pankaj beat Soneshwar Deka (OIL) 11-2, 13-11, 11-13, 11-4 in the first semifinal and LV Thakre defeated Jayanta Dey (IOCL) 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 in the other last-four match.
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