Telangana upset reigning champion West Bengal 3-2 to enter the semifinals in the junior girls’ team event of the National junior & youth table tennis championships here on Wednesday.
Akula Sreeja beat Shobabati Moitra in the crucial singles after both teams had won two matches apiece.
Kerala blanked Tamil Nadu 3-0 in the other quarterfinal.
Seraha Jacob set the ball rolling for the host beating her World Cup-bound teammate S. Selenadeepthi in straight games. The experienced Maria Rony increased the lead by beating Harshavardhini in straight games. Seraha and Maria came back from behind to beat Yashini Sivakumar and Selenadeepthi in the doubles to complete the rout.
Kerala will meet Telangana in the semifinals.
Also advancing to the semifinals were Maharashtra ‘A’, which beat Andhra Pradesh 3-1, and Maharashtra ‘B’, which blanked Karnataka 3-0.
Meanwhile, continuing its crackdown on age-group violations, the TTFI debarred West Bengal’s Priyanka Ganguly for having submitted two age-proof certificates. Priyanka was one of the replacement entries sent by WBTTA, and was part of the team.
The results: Junior girls: Quarterfinals: Kerala bt Tamil Nadu 3-0 (Seraha Jacob bt S. Selenadeepthi 11-8, 11-9, 11-8; Maria Rony bt Harshavardhini 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7; Seraha & Maria bt Yashini Sivakumar & Selenadeepthi 6-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4).
Telangana bt West Bengal 3-2 (Naina bt Shobabati Moitra 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-3; Akula Sreeja lost to Prapti Sen 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 6-11; Naina & Sreeja lost to Shobabti & Prapti 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 10-12, 8-11; Naina bt Prapti 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7, Akula Sreeja bt Shobabati Moitra 11-2, 12-10, 13-11);
Maharashtra ‘A’ bt Andhra Pradesh 3-1 (Payal Bohra bt Vaishali Katam 7-11, 12-10, 11-5, 16-14; Shruti Amrute bt Shailu Noorbasha 11-6, 11-9, 11-4; Aslesha Trehan & Shruti bt Vaishali & Shailu 11-6, 11-13, 9-11, 11-9, 13-11);
Maharashtra ‘B’ bt Karnataka 3-0 (Manasi Chhajed bt Spoorthi Venkatesh 11-8, 11-5, 11-7; Mansi Chiplunkar bt Kushi Viswanath 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5; Manasi Chhajed & Shrushti Hallengadi bt Spoorthi & Samyuktha 11-2, 13-11, 12-10).