Pradhan topples Dixit in junior national squash

By IANS,

Chennai : Abhishek Pradhan seeded 3/4th, created the biggest upset of the junior national squash championship here Monday when he defeated top seed Ravi Dixt in an enthralling five games to enter the final of the boys under-17 category.


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Ravi won the first game 13-11, hitting lengths to great effect but there on came the charge from Abhishek. Running down every ball that was thrown at him and hitting some delightful drops, Abhishek won the second game 13-11.

Ravi took the third game convincingly with disciplined squash but once gain Abhishek pulled back to level the score 2-2.

In the fifth, it was Ravi all the way, leading 7-2 and with three match balls led 10-7. However, Abhishek, hit hard and low and retrieved every shot as Ravi started to float the ball. Abhishek took advantage and levelled the score at 10-10. With every player on the edge of their seat, Abhishek kept the pressure and waited for his opening winning with two consecutive winners.

Following Abhishek, was Karan Malik, also seeded 3/4. Playing with clinical precision and moving second seeded Ramit Tandon to all corners, Karan won in three games.

Surbhi Misra from Rajasthan was just too good for Anwesha Reddy in the girls under 19 Monday. Surbhi moved Anwesha well and forced her into making errors. She will play top seeded Dipika in the final Tuesday. In the boys section, Vikram Malhotra will play Aditya Jagtap.

Meanwhile, Sandeep Ramachandran, who had done exceedingly well, lost to second seeded Raghav Mehrotra in five games in the boys under-13 semi-final.

The results (all semifinals, seedings in paranthesis):

Boys 11 – (1) Roshan R. K. {TN} beat Ranjeet Singh {UP} 11-7 7-11 11-6 11-7; (5/8) A. Rishidev {TN} beat Robin Mann {DEL} 11-9 11-5 11-5. For 5th-8th Places: (9/16) Abhay Singh {TN} beat (9/16) R.A. Charanyaselvan {TN} 11-8 8-11 8-11 11-7 12-10; (9/16) Velavan {TN} beat (3/4) Yohann Surti {MAH} 12-10 11-7 11-2.

Boys 13 – (1) Kush Kumar {DEL} beat (5/8) Abhimanyu Shah {MAH} 11-4 11-6 13-11; (2) Raghav Mehrotra {MAH} beat (5/8) Sandeep Ramachandran {TN} 12-14 11-2 13-15 11-9 11-7. For 5th-8th Places: (5/8) Harshit Muchal {RAJ} beat (3/4) Aditya Khatri {MAH} 13-11 11-3 2-11 5-11 11-9; (9/16) Akhilesh Yadav {MAH} beat (3/4) Yohan Pandole {MAH} 12-10 12-14 11-7 11-8.

Boys 15 – (1) Mahesh Mangaonkar {MAH} beat (5/8) Deepak Mishra {DEL} 11-0 11-3 11-6; (2) Vivek Dinodia {WB} beat (5/8) Vrishab Kotian {TN} 11-7 3-11 5-11 11-6 11-7. For 5th-8th Places: (5/8) Rahil Fazelbhoy {MAH} beat (3/4) Caran Arora {MAH} 11-9 7-11 9-11 11-8 11-8; (3/4) Karan Thahryamal {RAJ} beat 5/8* Rishi Tandon {TN} 11-3 11-8 15-13.

Boys 17 – (3/4) Abhishek Pradhan {TN} beat (1) Ravi Dixit {TN} 11-13 13-11 5-11 11-5 13-11; (3/4) Karan Malik {TN} beat (2) Ramit Tandon {TN} 11-8 11-9 11-4. For 5th-8th Places: (5/8) Akshay Deepak {TN} beat Pranay Merchant {MAH} 11-6 11-2 11-7; (5/8) Ashray Ohri {RAJ} beat (5/8) Aadit Zaveri {MAH} 9-11 11-6 11-5 11-5.

Boys 19 – (1) Vikram Malhotra {MAH} beat (3/4) Laxman Joshi {MAH} 11-1 11-5 11-3; (2) Aditya Jagtap {MAH} beat (3/4) Paramit Singh {TN} 10-12 11-3 11-7 11-4. For 5th-8th Places: (5/8) Gunraj Singh {DEL} beat (5/8) Naveen Jangra {MAH} 11-7 11-7 11-2; (5/8) Sami Johnson {MAH} beat (5/8) Abhinav Sinha {MAH} 11-1 9-11 12-10 12-10;

Girls 11 – (1) Adya Advani {DEL} beat (5/8) Rayna Kishanchandani {MAH} 11-0 11-4 11-3; (2) Aishwarya Bhattacharya {MAH} beat (5/8) Jui Kalgutar {MAH} 5-11 11-5 11-9 8-11 11-6. For 5th-8th Places (3/4) Shamika Reddy {TN} beat (5/8) Anushka Nair {MAH} 11-8 11-8 11-13 11-1; (3/4) Neharika Balamurukan {TN} beat A.V. Apoorva {TN} 11-1 11-0 11-2

Girls 13 – (1) Pankhuri Malhotra {DEL} beat (3/4) Likhitta Dugar {TN} 11-6 11-4 11-3; Lakshya R beat Heba Johnson 3-0. For 5th-8th Places: Nandian Agarwal {DEL} beat Mannat Jauhal {RAJ} 11-9 11-5 5-11 14-16 16-14; Harshit Kaur {DEL} beat Madhumitha {TN} 11-2 11-2 11-1.

Girls 15 – (1) Anaka Alankamony {TN} beat (3/4) Shria Khatri {MAH} 11-4 11-3 11-3; (2) Saumya Karki {MAH} beat (3/4) Aprajitha Balamurukan {TN} 11-13 11-8 11-8 6-11 11-7. For 5th-8th Places: (5/8) Sachika Ingale {DEL} beat Rhea Advani {MAH} 11-3 11-2 11-2; (5/8) Urvashi Joshi {MAH} beat Saai Meera {TN} 11-3 11-6 11-7.

Girls 17 – (1) Harita Om Prakash {TN} beat Tanvi Jain {MP} 11-1 11-3 11-6; Ankita Sharma by Dheeya Somaiya 3-2. For 5th-8th Places: (3/4) Rinki Soni {MAH} beat Arushi Agarwal {DEL} 11-8 11-2 11-2; Urvashi Singh {RAJ} beat Namrata Purohit {MAH} 11-6 6-11 11-0 11-0.

Girls 19 – (1) Dipika Pallikal {TN} beat (3/4) Swati Muchhal {MP} 11-5 11-1 11-1; (3/4) Surbhi Misra {RAJ} beat (2) V. Anwesha Reddy {TN} 11-7 11-8 11-5; For 5th-8th Places: Nitisha Sethia {WB} beat D. Surafi {TN} 11-3 11-7 11-1; Shaheen Madraswala {MAH} beat Tulika Lal {RAJ} 11-3 11-7 11-3.

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