Indore, November 3: On the penultimate day of the third UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships at the Abhay Prashal, the drama intensified as several of the 16 men’s and women’s seeded players fell by the wayside. Yet, amid the upsets, a few held firm, surviving tense battles to book their passage to the final day’s action, keeping the title race wide open.

In the men's singles pre-quarterfinals, top seed Manush Shah (RBI) was stretched by Delhi’s Arjav Gupta before clinching a hard-earned 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 7-11, 11-3 victory. Ronit Bhanja outplayed teammate Anirban Ghosh 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9, while Mizoram’s in-form H. Jeho continued his impressive run, brushing aside Sarthak Arya 11-8, 11-9, 11-4.

Seasoned paddler Sanil Shetty proved too steady for Delhi’s Payas Jain, sealing a straight-games win 11-9, 13-11, 11-9, and Harmeet Desai prevailed over fellow veteran Anthony Amalraj 11-4, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 in a marquee clash. Tamil Nadu’s M. Senthil Kumar impressed with form, rallying from a game down to beat Sourav Saha 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9.

Maharashtra’s Jash Modi outlasted Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, and Ankur Bhattacharjee (WB) kept things tidy in his straight-games victory over Raegan Albuquerque (Mah) 11-6, 11-4, 11-8, completing an eventful lineup for the last eight.

Top contenders moved into the women’s singles quarterfinals, with to-seed Diya Chitale (RBI) surviving a tough five-game test against teammate Nikhat Banu. Diya was pushed hard before clinching it 11-6, 11-13, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9.

Tamil Nadu’s Yashini Sivashankar impressed in her 3-1 win over Poymantee Baisya (RSPB) 11-8, 11-2, 9-11, 11-5, while Haryana’s Suhana Saini cruised past Syndrela Das (WB) in straight games 11-9, 11-4, 11-6. In another thriller, Maharashtra’s Tanesha Kotecha outlasted veteran Madhurika Patkar (PSPB) 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6.

Seasoned Sutirtha Mukherjee (RSPB) eased through against Sayanika Maji (Del) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8, as did Sampada Bhiwandkar, winning 13-11, 11-9, 11-8. Kavya Bhatt showed grit in her tight 3-1 win over Anusha Kutumbale (RSPB) 9-11, 12-10, 13-11, 12-10, and second seed Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) maintained steady control to beat Sneha Bhowmick of FCI 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.

Top seeds marched into the Under-19 Youth Boys and Girls quarterfinals, though not without scares. Tamil Nadu’s P.B. Abhinand and Assam’s Priyanuj Bhattacharyya each dropped a game before winning their pre-quarterfinals. Abhinand beat Arjav Gupta (Del) 7-11, 15-13, 11-8, 11-7, while Priyanuj recovered to down Abhilaksh Patel of Gujarat 7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-4.

Among other boys’ winners, M. Balamurugan and M. Senthil Kumar (both TN) advanced comfortably, as did Priyanshu Karmakar. A thriller saw Trishal Raj Kumar (PSPBA) edge third seed Punit Biswas 11-7, 3-11, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, while Neil Mulye and Sarthak Arya also progressed.

In the girls’ section, top-four seeds held firm. M. Hansini of Tamil Nadu survived a stern push from Pratha Pawar of Gujarat to win 16-14, 14-12, 11-7. Ananya Muralidharan, Dista Roy, and Jennifer Varghese followed suit, with Jennifer edging Swara Karmarkar 14-12, 11-5, 11-13, 14-12.

Also moving ahead were Kavya Bhatt, Riddhima Kapoor, Shreya Dhar, who scraped through (11-5, 11-7, 3-11, 14-16, 11-9), and Syndrela Das.

RESULTS:

Youth Boys U-19: PQF: P.B. Abhinand (TN) bt Arjav Gupta (Del) 7-11, 15-13, 11-8, 11-7; M. Balamurugan (TN) bt Nikunj Attri (Har) 11-7, 11-7, 4-11, 11-1; M. Senthil Kumar (TN) bt M. Nikkhil Menon (TN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7; Priyanshu Karmakar (WB) bt Kushal Chopda (Mah) 11-6, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5; Trishal Raj Kumar (PSPBA) bt Punit Biswas (WB) 11-7, 3-11, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10; Neil Mulye (Mah) bt Anish Mukherjee (WB) 11-7, 11-9, 11-9; Sarthak Arya (Ods) bt Umesh Kumar (TN) 15-13, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8; Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) bt Abhilaksh Patel (Guj) 7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-4.

Youth Girls U-19: PQF: M. Hansini (TN) bt Praatha Pawar (Guj) 16-14, 14-12, 11-7; Ananya Muralidharan (TN) bt Vanshika Mudgal (FCI) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7; Dista Roy (WB) bt Avani Tripathi (UP 11-3, 11-7, 6-11, 8-11,11-5; Jennifer Varghese (Mah) bt Swara Karmarkar (Mah) 14-12, 11-5, 11-13, 14-12; Kavya Bhatt (Mah) bt Subhankrita Datta (WB) 11-7, 11-6, 11-8; Riddhima Kapoor (Del) bt Hardee Patel (Mah) 13-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-3; Shreya Dhar (WB) bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 11-5, 11-7, 3-11, 14-16, 11-9; Syndrela Das (WB) bt Aarushi Nandi (WB) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

Men’s singles: PQF: Manush Shah (RBI0 bt Arjav Gupta (Del) 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 7-11, 11-3; Ronit Bhanja (RSPB) bt Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9; H. Jeho (Miz) bt Sarthak Arya (Ods) 11-8, 11-9, 11-4; Sanil Shetty (PSPB) bt Payas Jain (Del) 11-9, 13-11, 11-9; M. Senthil Kumar (TN) bt Sourav Saha (PSPB) 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9; Harmeet Desai (PSPB) bt Anthony Amalraj (PSPB) 11-4, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7; Jash Modi (Mah) bt Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9; Ankur Bhattacharjee (WB) bt Raegan Albuquerque (Mah) 11-6, 11-4, 11-8.

Women Singles: PQF: Diya Chitale (RBI) bt Nikhat Banu (RBI) 11-6, 11-13, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9; Yashini Sivashankar (TN) bt Poymantee Baisya (RSPB) 11-8, 11-2, 9-11, 11-5; Suhana Saini (Har) bt Syndrela Das (WB) 11-9, 11-4, 11-6; Tanesha Kotecha (Mah) bt Madhurika Patkar (PSPB) 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6; Sutirtha Mukherjee (RSPB) bt Sayanika Maji (Del) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8; Sampada Bhiwandkar (Mah) 13-11, 11-9, 11-8; Kavya Bhatt (Mah) bt Anusha Kutumbale (RSPB) 9-11, 12-10, 13-11, 12-10; Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) bt Sneha Bbhowmick (FCI) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.