Indore: The third UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, underway at the Abhay Prashal here, delivered a day of thrilling action and unexpected turns as the Under-15 Youth Boys and Youth Girls quarterfinals produced high-quality battles and tense finishes, with young paddlers displaying maturity and nerves of steel in their race to the semifinals.
West Bengal’s Rishaan Chattopadhayay, seeded eight, produced the upset of the day in the boys’ section, stunning top seed and compatriot Aditya Das with controlled aggression and clever variations. After dropping the opening game, Rishaan imposed his tempo brilliantly and completed a memorable 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 win that underlined his growing confidence on big stages.
The second quarterfinal turned into a marathon, stretching close to 50 minutes, as Gujarat’s No. 4 seed Vivaan Dave battled past Haryana’s Vatsal Duklan in a gripping five-game duel. Both traded long rallies and refused to concede ground, but Vivaan held his nerve at the finish to prevail 11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9.
Tamil Nadu’s duo kept their campaign intact in commanding fashion. K. Akshay Bhushan outclassed Maharashtra’s Prateek Tulsani 11-7, 11-2, 11-3, and Akash Rajavelu, the No. 2 seed, held off a spirited challenge from West Bengal’s Himon Mondal before cruising home 17-15, 11-7, 11-1.
In the girls’ draw, Maharashtra’s top seed Naisha Rewaskar dominated West Bengal’s Riniva Sarkar 11-4, 11-3, 11-4, mixing sharp serves with precise topspins. West Bengal’s No. 5 seed Sreejani Chakraborty followed suit, edging Gujarat’s Daniya Godil in tight finishes to seal a straight-games 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 triumph.
PSPBA’s Aarya Redkar impressed with steady attacking play to down West Bengal’s Saturya Banerjee 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2, while Ankolika Chakraborty of West Bengal, seeded No. 2, held firm in a see-saw contest against Assam’s Divija Paul, edging through 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7.
Meanwhile, the Under-17 Boys and Girls events entered their knockout phase, setting the stage for another round of fierce battles as competitors eye podium finishes.
With upsets, marathon duels, and clinical displays lighting up the arena, the semifinals promise high-voltage drama as India’s brightest young paddlers continue their quest for national glory.
Results:
Youth Boys U-15: Quarterfinals: Rishaan Chattopadhayay (WB) bt Aditya Das (WB) 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8; Vivaan Dave (Guj) bt Vatsal Duklan (Har) 11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9; K. Akshay Bhushan (TN) bt Prateek Tulsani (Mah) 11-7, 11-2, 11-3; Akash Rajavelu (TN) bt Himon Mondal (WB) 17-15, 11-7, 11-1.
Youth Girls U-15: Quarterfinals: Naisha Rewaskar (Mah) bt Riniva Sarkar (WB) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4; Sreejani Chakraborty (WB) bt Daniya Godil (Guj) 11-9, 12-10, 11-6; Aarya Redkar (PSPBA) bt Saturya Banerjee (WB) 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2; Ankolika Chakraborty (WB) bt Divija Paul (Asm) 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7.
