PSPB’s Achanta Sharath Kamal and K. Shamini won the men’s and women’s singles titles in the Indian Oil Servo National-ranking South Zone table tennis championship.
At the Sree Kanteerava indoor stadium here on Sunday evening, Sharath brushed aside the challenge from PSPB’s Jubin Kumar 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 while Shamini overcame a mid-match slump and a resurgent Ankita Das also in six games, at 11-7, 17-15, 5-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Sharath Kamal emerged richer by Rs. 66,000 while Shamini pocketed the winner’s purse of Rs. 55,000.
“I did not expect to play the left-handed Jubin in the final…expected Soumyadeep Roy. But the way Jubin attacked in the semis this morning, I could not take him lightly. And he played well and did come back to take two games on the trot. My backhand was erratic today and I did not take my chances in the third games especially” said Sharath, the top Indian and ranked 73 in the world.
Jubin who had outsmarted Soumyadeep Roy in straight games in the semifinals did win some crucial points but had no answer to the all-round display of his much fancied opponent.
“It was a bad day in the inter-institutional championship final (losing to Soumyajit Ghosh. But I wanted him to play here” said Sharath, who is targeting the top 50 finish by this year end.
“I slipped from a ranking of 39, and now my main focus is on regaining the position”
Earlier in the semifinals, Sharath toyed with 14-year-old sub-junior winner Anirban Ghosh. But at the end of the day it was the young lad who won the biggest applause.
Shamini who was leading 2-0 against Olympian Ankita Das allowed the junior ace to level the scores at 2-all. But a pep talk from her coach saw Shamini flicking with finesse to catch her opponent off-guard.
Ankita on her part looked aggressive but in the process erred badly with her length and either hit long or into the net. Shamini also controlled the pace appreciably to pressurise her rival.
The results: Men: Final: A. Sharath Kamal (PSPB) bt Jubin Kumar (PSPB) 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7.
Semifinals: Sharath Kamal bt Anirban Ghosh (WB) 11-1, 11-7, 13-11, 11-8; Jubin Kumar bt Soumyadeep Roy (PSPB) 11-8, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6.
Quarterfinals: Sharath Kamal bt Jignesh Jaiswal (Guj) 11-4, 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7; Jubin Kumar bt Sanil Shetty (PSPB) 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9; Anirban Ghosh bt Sushmit Sriram (AAI) 10-12, 3-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 12-14, 11-8; Soumyadeep Roy bt R. Abhishek (TN) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6, 4-11, 6-11, 13-11.
Women: Final: K. Shamini (PSPB) bt Ankita Das (PSPB) 11-7, 17-15, 5-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Semifinals: Ankita Das bt Mouma Das (PSPB) 11-7, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-3; K. Shamini bt Poulomi Ghatak (PSPB) 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6.
Quarterfinals: Poulomi Ghatak (PSPB) bt Mousmi Paul (PSPB) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5; K. Shamini (PSPB) bt Madhurika Patkar (PSPB) 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3; Mouma Das (PSPB) bt Divya Deshpande (PSPB) 11-1, 17-15, 13-11, 11-9; Ankita Das (PSPB) bt Mamata Prabhu (DB) 12-10, 11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6.
Youth Boys: Final: G. Sathiyan (PSPB) bt Sourav Saha (PSPB) 11-2, 14-12, 11-6, 6-11, 7-11, 13-11.
Youth Girls: Final: Krittiwika Sinha Roy (AAI) bt Manika Batra (PSPB) 5-11, 11-9, 11-4, 3-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7.
