Looking jaded, having played almost without a break for the last 11 months, National champion Anthony Amalraj drew from the reserve and crossed the finish-line past Sanil Shetty to claim the 11Even Sports National ranking table tennis championship here on Thursday.
Amalraj, the reigning National Games champion, got his act right after dropping the opening game to former National champion Sanil Shetty 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 13-11, 11-2. For reinforcing his top billing, Amalraj received Rs. 66,000. Sanil collected Rs. 33,000.
In fact, Amalraj was tested more in the quarterfinals where his Chennai-mate G. Sathiyan led 3-1. A tired-looking Amalraj hung in there while Sathiyan rushed too many strokes and faltered from a winning position.
“My mental strength took me through as I was struggling to play the third ball,” was how Amalraj saw his play this day.
Earlier, in the ladies final, Amalraj’s ONGC colleague Madhurika Patkar claimed her first National ranking title after 2014 by stopping National runner-up Pooja Sahasrabudhe 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-8. The triumph was worth Rs. 55,000.
Pooja, who saved three-match points to beat K. Shamini in the quarterfinals and blanked top seeded Olympic qualifier Manika Batra in the semifinals, received 27,500.
Manav Thakkar added the youth boys’ title to the junior title he claimed on Wednesday while Archana Kamath expectedly walked away with the youth girls’ crown.
The results: Men singles (final): A. Amalraj (Pet) bt Sanil Shetty (Pet) 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 13-11, 11-2; Semifinals: Amalraj bt G. Sathiyan (Pet) 12-10, 9 -11, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6; Shetty bt Harmeet Desai (Pet) 11-6, 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 5-11, 15-13; Quarterfinals : Amalraj bt Subhajit Saha (Pet) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8; Sathiyan bt Utkarsh Gupta (Del) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-6; Shetty bt Sudhanshu Grover (Pet) 11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 12-14, 11-8, 11-7; Desai bt Jubin Kumar (Har) 10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7.
Women singles (final): Madhurika Patkar (Pet) bt Pooja Sahasrabudhe (Pet) 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-8; Semifinals: Pooja bt Manika Batra (Pet) 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4), Madhurika bt Shruti Amrute (Mah ‘B’) 14-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5; Quarterfinals: Manika bt Frenaz Chipia (AAI) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4; Pooja bt K. Shamini (Pet) 11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11, 15-13, 11-8, 11-6; Madhurika bt Suthirtha Mukherjee (WB) 14-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5; Shruti bt Reeth Rishya (Pet) 11-3, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2.
Youth Boys: Final: Manav Thakkar (Pet. Academy) bt Arjun Ghosh (WB) 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7; Semifinals: Ghosh bt Ronit Bhanja (AAI) 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8; Thakkar bt Utkarsh Gupta (Del) 11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9; Quarterfinals: Bhanja bt Jeet Chandra (WB) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6; Ghosh bt Birdie Boro (Pet) 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-7; Utkarsh Gupa bt Lalrin Puia (Miz) 5-11, 11-4, 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10; Thakkar bt Abhishek Yadav (Pet) 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7.
Youth girls (final): Archana Kamath (AAI) bt Sreeja Akula (AAI) 11-8, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-1; Semifinals: Archana bt Ayhika Mukherjee 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6; Sreeja bt Manushree Patil (Mah ‘A’) 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5; Quarterfinals: Ayhika bt Priyanka Pareek (Raj) 11-3, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3; Archana bt Priyadarshini Das (WB) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7; Manushree bt Tanishi Kirtani 11-8, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3; Sreeja bt S. Seleenadeepthi (AAI) 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8.
