Panchkula, November 16: The fourth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships came to a fitting close at the Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium, where Delhi’s Payas Jain and PSPB’s Swastika Ghosh claimed the men’s and women’s singles titles. Both secured their first crowns of the season with hard-fought 4–2 wins, displaying grit and precision in finals that swung repeatedly before settling in their favour.

In the Men’s Singles final, Payas Jain held off a spirited challenge from Akash Pal of the Railways, prevailing 12-10, 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8. The fluctuating scores reflected the intensity of the contest, with Payas raising his game just when needed to close out the last three games.

The Women’s Singles final delivered similar drama. Swastika Ghosh edged past Syndrela Das of West Bengal in a gripping six-game battle, 12-10, 12-14, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, marked by long rallies and bold shot-making under pressure.

Among the youth categories, Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Assam) captured the Youth Boys U-19 title, defeating M. Balamurugan 4-1, showing superior composure in the closing stretch. In the Youth Girls U-19 final, Syndrela Das of West Bengal bounced back strongly, producing a commanding 4–0 win over Shriya Anand of Tamil Nadu, sealing her title dominantly with a 4-0 triumph.

Akash advanced to the final with a commanding 4–1 victory over Manush Shah. After splitting the first two games, Akash raised his intensity, taking control with sharp attacking play to close out the match 3-1 against the RBI paddler. In the other semifinal, Payas produced a clean, composed performance to defeat Maharashtra’s Jash Modi in straight games. Despite some close moments—particularly a tight second game—Payas maintained consistency to win 4-0.

Swastika marched into the final with a dominant display against Tamil Nadu’s Selena Deepthi, registering a convincing 4–0 victory. Her controlled aggression and superior tempo helped her seal the match. Syndrela completed the final lineup after recovering from a slow start against PSPB’s Yashaswini Ghorpade. After dropping the opening game, she responded strongly to win four straight games, using improved placement and rhythm to prevail 4-1.

In the U-19 Boys semifinals, Priyanuj rallied past Tamil Nadu’s M. Senthil Kumar 3–1 after dropping the first game, while fellow TN player Balamurugan beat Punit Biswas 3–1, surviving a tense third game before closing out the match.

The Girls' semifinals were tighter. Shriya defeated Avisha Karmakar 3–1 despite a second-game setback, and Syndrela edged Sayanika Maji 3–2 in a gripping five-game thriller, staging a strong fourth-game comeback before dominating the decider.

Quarterfinals across all divisions featured both dominant wins and close calls. In Men’s Singles, Manush and Akash posted 3–1 victories, while Payas and Jash cruised through in straight games. Women’s Singles produced a mix of sweeps and battles—Swastika and Syndrela advanced easily, while Selena and Yashaswini needed five games.

In the Youth categories, Priyanuj, Balamurugan, and Punit claimed confident U-19 Boys wins, with Senthil Kumar surviving a tight 3–2 clash. In the Girls, Avisha edged Hansini in a thriller, while Shriya, Sayanika, and Syndrela advanced with convincing performances.

Results:

Men’s Singles: Final: Payas Jain (Del) bt Akash Pal (RSPB) 12-10, 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

Semifinals: Akash bt Manush Shah (RBI) 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-6; Payas bt Jash Modi (Mah) 11-5, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8.

Quarterfinals: Manush bt Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 3-1; Akash bt P.B. Abhinand (TN) 3-1; Payas bt S. Preyesh Raj (TN) 3-0; Jash bt SFR Snehit (IA&AD) 3-0.

Women’s Singles: Final: Swastika Ghosh (PSPB) bt Syndrela Das (WB) 12-10, 12-14, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10.

Semifinals: Swastika bt Selena Deepthi (TN) 11-7, 11-2, 11-6, 11-9; Syndrela bt Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7.

Quarterfinals: Swastika bt Trisha Gogoi (Asm) 3-0; Selena bt Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) 3-2; Syndrela bt Sayanika Maji (Del) 3-1; Yashaswini bt Tanishka Kalbhairav (Kar) 3-2.

Youth Boys U-19: Final: Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) bt M. Balamurugan (TN) 11-6, 12-14, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4.

Semifinals: Priyanuj bt M. Senthil Kumar (TN) 6-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4; Balamurugan bt Punit Biswas (WB) 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8.

Quarterfinals: Priyanuj bt Sahil Rawat (PSPAB) 3-1; Senthil Kumar bt Kushal Chopda (Mah) 3-2; Balamurugan bt Naman Bhatnagar (HP) 3-1; Punit bt Harshit Kumar (Bhr) 3-0.

Youth Girls U-19: Final: Syndrela Das (WB) bt Shriya Anand (TN) 11-1, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4.

Semifinals: Shriya bt Avisha Karmakar (WB) 11-9, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8; Syndrela bt Sayanika Maji (Del) 11-9, 11-13, 7-11, 11-9, 11-2.

Quarterfinals: Avisha bt M. Hansini (TN) 3-2; Shriya bt Kavya Bhatt (Mah) 3-1; Sayanika bt Ananya Muralidharan (TN) 3-0; Syndrela bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 3-0.