Frenaz upsets Mouma to enter pre-quarterfinal
Vadodara January, 19: Gujarat’s Frenaz Chipa pulled off one the biggest upsets of the tournament yet when she toppled India no. 10 Mouma Das (PSPB) 4-3 (9-11,12-10,13-11,7-11,4-11,11-8,11-5) and booked her pre-quarterfinal berth in the women’s category of the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championship played at SAMA Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara on Thursday.
The 19th ranked Frenaz, 28, engaged in a fierce battle with the former India no.1 Mouma who took the first game only to hand over the lead back to the Surat girl. However, 38-year-old Mouma took the next two games but the Surti girl refused to throw in the towel and bagged the next two games to seal the deal.
India no. 12 and Gujarat’s Krittwika Sinha Roy too entered in pre-quarterfinal with a facile 4-0 (11-4,11-4,11-3,11-7) win over V Harsha (RBI).
In the men’s section, local lad Manush Shah (India no. 4) took out Shounak Shinde (MAHA B) 4-1 (11-5,11-6,7-11,11-2,11-6) storm into pre-quarterfinal.
In the mixed doubles Round of 32, Gujarat paddlers had a good day in office as Manush & Sreeja Akula (RBI) brushed aside Rakshit Barigidad (KAR) & Rony Maria (CB) 3-1. Soham Bhattacharya & Filzal Fatema Kadri (GUJ) easily went past Ravindra Kotiyan) & Sagarika Mukherjee (RSPB) 3-0 while Chitrax Bhatt & Frenaz (GUJ) got the better of Sudhanshu Grover & Garima Goyal (DEl) 3-1.
Meanwhile, Ankur Bhattacharjee (BEN A) won the under-17 boys’ title after defeating Preyesh Raj (TN 4-2 and the girls U-17 trophy went to Suhana Saini (HAR) who blanked Taneesha Kotecha (AAI) 4-0 (11-8,11-8,11-6,11-6) in the final.
The U-15 boys title was won by Punit Biswas (BEN B) while Subhankrita Dutta (NCOE) became the U-15 girls champion.
Final results: U-15 boys: Punit Biswas (BEN B) bt Umesh Kumar (TN) 4-2 (7-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8). U-15 girls: Subhankrita Dutta (NCOE) bt Sayanika Maji (DEL) 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9)
Youth Boys (U-19): Round of 32: Soumyadeep Sarkar (BEN B) bt Burhanuddin Malubhaiwala (GUJ) 3-0 (11-5,11-7,11-8).
Mixed Doubles: Round of 32: Manav Thakkar (PSPB) & Archana Kamath (PSPB) bt Shounak Guhu & Sandika Bhattacharjee (NCOE) 3-0 (11-5,11-1,11-4).