The top seeds in the under-19 category, Mahesh Mangaonkar and Anaka Alankamony, breezed into their respective finals following easy wins in the Indian junior Open squash tournament at the Indian Squash Academy, here on Friday.
In all, 11 Indian players progressed to the finals in various age categories.
A frequent deployment of the drop shot saw Mahesh coasting past Tang Cheuk Yan of Hong Kong in just over thirty minutes. Anaka, after contending with a tough first game, wrapped up her semifinal against Hong Kong's Lee Ka Yi in straight games.
Anaka was trailing 5-7 in the opener when she reeled off 12 successive points to go one up (11-7) and assume a commanding 6-0 lead in the second game. The third game saw the Indian girl bossing her rival to emerge an 11-7, 11-3, 11-1 victor.
Anaka will play Hong Kong's Ka Po, who defeated Aparajitha Balamurukan in their last-four clash, in Saturday's final.
The boys' under-19 title match will be contested between Mahesh and Abhishek Pradhan, who beat compatriot Vrishab Kotian in four tight games in the last match scheduled for Friday.
The results: Semifinals:
Boys: U-11: Veer Chotrani bt Ayush Menon (USA) 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7; Tushar Shahani bt P. Shankaran 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 12-10.
U-13: Mohammad Alsarraj (Jor) bt Yash Bhargava 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6; Ranjit Singh bt Robin Mann 11-7, 11-5, 11-8.
U-15: Yuen Tsun Hei (HK) bt Mohd. Farez Izwan (Mal) 12-10, 11-6, 11-4; Yohan Pandole bt Sandeep Ramachandran 14-12, 6-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9.
U-17: Ahmad Alsaraj (Jor) bt Yeung Ho Wai (HK) 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 12-10; Kush Kumar bt Gurshan Singh (Mal) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4.
U-19: Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Tang Cheuk Yan (HK) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6; Abhishek Pradhan bt Vrishab Kotian 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Girls: U-11: Diya Joukni bt Adwiteya Kasliwal 11-3, 12-10, 11-8; Lui Hiu Lam (HK) bt Aditi Raheja 11-1, 11-4, 11-2.
U-13: Aishwarya Bhattacharya bt Cheng Nga Ching (HK) 12-10, 12-10, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8; Ho Ka Wing (HK) bt Ashita Bhengra 11-3, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4;
U-15: Harshit Kaur bt Adya Advani 11-3, 17-15, 11-7; Chan Ho Ching(HK) bt Mihiliya Methsarani (SL) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7.
U-17: Ho Tze Lok (HK) bt Chu Ka Hei (HK) 11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6; Choi Uen Shan bt Chan Pui Hei Pansy (HK) 11-7, 11-7, 13-11.
U-19: Anaka Alankamony bt Lee Ka Yi (HK) 11-7, 11-3, 11-1; Ho Ka Po (HK) Aparajitha Balamurukan 11-6, 11-5, 11-6.
