The Hindu : Sport : Sharat Kamal just too good

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Monday, Sep 26, 2005

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Sharat Kamal just too good

Special Correspondent

— Photo: S. Gopakumar

SMILES OF SUCCESS: A. Sharat Kamal (left) and K. Shamini reigned supreme.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It proved to be an easy ride to the top for Achanta Sharat Kamal (Petroleum Sports Promotion Board) and K. Shamini (Tamil Nadu) in the men's and women's singles sections respectively as the Southern India National ranking table tennis tournament concluded at the Agriculture College indoor stadium, Vellayani, on Sunday.

The top-seeded Sharat Kamal packed too many guns for his team-mate and second-seeded Soumyadeep Roy. He won the men's singles final in straight sets at 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. The women's singles title-clash saw Shamini stop the junior champion Neha Agarwal (Delhi) from taking a double with a comfortable 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 victory.

Well-prepared

In fact, it was very much evident right at the start itself that Sharat Kamal, the Chennai-based IOC player, had come well-prepared as he created clever openings to put his telling forehand on display. But committing a few unforced errors, he was down 4-6 before levelling the scores at 6-all and then racing to take the first game at 11-7.

With Soumyadeep being somewhat successful in slowing the tempo of the match, the second seed kept the scores tied till 6-6 before running up a 8-6 lead in the second game. But then, Sharat Kamal was quick to see through the danger and raised the tempo once again to take the set winning the next five points in-a-row.

The ability of Sharat Kamal to play the big points was again in evidence as he took the third game. Soumyadeep threatened to catch up him in the closing stages of the decider. The champion was in the lead 5-2 before Soumyadeep slowly clawed his way back to close in at 7-6. However, with Sharat Kamal firing on all cylinders, Soumyadeep could remain only a mere spectator as the former closed out the match and take the top prize of Rs. 33,000.

The women's final between the two unseeded players saw Shamini begin by losing the first game at 7-11 as Neha got off with an attacking game. But thereafter, with Shamini tightening her defence and being able to expose her rival's poor backhand with brilliantly timed counter-attacks, it was the Tamil Nadu girl all the way before she sealed her first major title in the women's section. The 17-year-old Shamini, a first year Commerce student from Mylapore in Chennai, took home a cheque of Rs. 22,000 for her winning effort.

The results (singles): Men: final: A. Sharat Kamal (PSPB) bt Soumyadeep Roy (PSPB) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. Semifinals: Sharat Kamal bt Arup Basak (PSPB) 11-6, 6-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-9; Soumyadeep Roy bt Subhajit Saha (PSPB) 9-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8.

Women: final: K. Shamini (TN) bt Neha Agarwal (Del) 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 11-6. Semifinals: Shamini bt Madhurika Patkar (Mah) 11-3, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-0; Neha bt Mantu Ghosh (PSPB) 8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8.

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