New Delhi: The second UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships opened on a competitive note at the Thyagaraj Stadium today, with the Under-19 Girls’ qualification rounds taking centre stage. The first day set the tone for the eight-day-long event, showcasing not just the dominance of the seeded players but also the resilience and fighting spirit of the lesser-known names eager to make a mark.
While most group toppers eased through their opening rounds, the day’s play was peppered with drama, extended battles, and a few surprise results. Delhi’s Archa Jain emerged as one of the standout performers, showing composure and tactical maturity in her second-round clash against Bengal’s Pritha Talukdar. After conceding the opening game, Archa fought back to register a 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2 victory in Group 3. However, the Delhi paddler faces a stern test tomorrow against Maharashtra’s Hardee Patel, who had earlier defeated her convincingly in straight games. Hardee, who has already looked sharp in the group stages, will fancy her chances of securing the top spot with a win over Pritha.
For the home crowd, local girl Sandhya Kumari added cheer by grinding out an 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9 win over Pondicherry’s S. Shivasri. Sandhya’s ability to hold her nerve in the decider reflected the fighting attitude that defined much of the day’s action. Elsewhere, Haryana’s Tanmayee Saha overcame a spirited effort from Maharashtra’s Anoushka Patil, recovering in time to clinch the decider 11-7 for a 3-2 win. Delhi’s Tushti Sood also displayed her promise, edging Bengal’s Snigdha Das in a nail-biting five-gamer, while Kerala’s Dhaani Jain scored back-to-back wins to put herself in a strong position for the knockouts.
The day was not without its upsets. Rajasthan’s Radhika Soni produced one of the more eye-catching results by toppling Tamil Nadu’s higher-ranked K. Ananya in a tense five-game battle. Her extended wins in the last two games underlined her grit and also dented the confidence of the fancied opponent. Bengal’s Soumya Das too scripted a comeback, overturning a 1-2 deficit to beat Rajasthan’s Sunidhi Dewan in another pulsating encounter.
In other first-round outings, Maharashtra’s Pratik Yedke had to dig deep against UP’s Vansh Sundriyal, as NCOE’s Shrijoyee Mukherjee staged a recovery against Somya Singh after dropping the first two games. However, her teammate Ardita Das could not follow suit, falling to UP’s Ayushi Singhal in five games. The day’s other highlight saw UP’s Samriddhi Sharma edge past Delhi’s Aarna Gauhar Ahuja 14-12 in the decider for a 3-2 victory, in what was arguably the most intense battle of the round.
With the women’s groups already producing thrilling contests in the first round, the men’s paddlers are set to begin their campaign later in the evening. If the opening day was any indication, the championships promise a week of tight contests, emerging stars, and plenty of surprises.
