Filzah, Chitrax win U-19 titles at 1st Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament 2021 (Phase II)
1st Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament 2021 (Phase II)
JAMNAGAR, SEPT. 25: Filzah Fatema Kadri and Chitrax Bhatt overcame anxious moments as they lived up to their top billing to win the Junior (U-19) titles at the 1st Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament 2021 (Phase II) organised by Jamnagar District Table Tennis Association under the aegis of Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA).
At the JMC Complex Indoor Stadium in Jamnagar, the second day of the tournament, that is being played from September 24 to 26, was full of excitement and close matches with top seed Filzah from Surat had a battle in hand in her 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-2 win over teammate and second seed Aafrien Murad in the Junior Girls (U-19) final.
Ahmedabad’s Chitrax, the top seed, too had his moments of anxiety as he beat second seed Burhanuddin Malubhai of Surat 15-13, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 to pocket the Junior Boys’ (U-19) crown.
Incidentally, both Filzah and Chitrax won the U-19 titles at the first state tournament of the season – Gujarat State and Inter District Table Tennis Championships 2021 in Gandhidham last month.
Milli Tanna took third place in Junior Girls’ (U-19) category after the fifth-seeded youngster from Surat ended Bhavnagar’s Rutva Kothari’s impressive run in the tournament with an 11-4, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10 win.
Unseeded Rutva created a flutter in the tournament when she shocked third seed Kausha Bhairapure of Ahmedabad 5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 1-11, 11-7 in the pre-quarters.
Meanwhile, in quarters, Rutva beat teammate Khushi Jadav 11-9, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7 while Milli shocked fourth seed Namna Jayswal of Bhavnagar 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9.
Aafrien overcame a mid-game slump to beat seventh seed Riya Jayswal of Bhavnagar 11-4, 7-11, 12-14, 14-12, 11-2, 11-4 while Filzah beat eight seed Naitri Dave of Bhavnagar 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-0, 11-8.
In the semis, Filzah defeated Milli 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 while Aafrien overcame a spirited Rutva for an 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12 win.
The Boys’ semi-finals were a case of close matches with both Chitrax and Burhanuddin surviving scares. Chitrax overturned a two-game deficit to beat teammate and fourth seed Abhilash Raval 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 while Burhanuddin summed all his strength to beat third seed Shlok Bajaj of Surat 12-10, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 3-11, 13-11.
Shlok settled for a third-place finish with an 11-2, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8 win over Abhilash.
Earlier in the quarters, Burhanuddin once again survived a massive scare to beat seventh seed Harshil Kothari of Bhavnagar 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 10-12, 16-18, 13-11, 12-10 while Shlok edged out Ahmedabad’s Harsh Patel 11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5.
Chitrax too had his moments in his 16-14, 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9 win over Bhavnagar’s Nandish Halani while Abhilash came from a game down to beat fifth seed Arman Shaikh of Aravalli 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s first round matches, Bhavnagar’s Khushi brushed aside Baroda’s Sakshi Nawani 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 while Baroda’s Purva Nimbalkar breezed past local girl Riddhi Gorecha 11-1, 11-1, 11-4.
Ahmedabad’s Shiney Gomes had a battle in hand with her fighting 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 win over Bhavnagar’s Dhara Parmar while Shiney’s teammate Kavisha Shah edged out Baroda’s Sheli Patel 11-7, 13-11, 11-8.
Written by : Pranjal Protim Boruah