Expectedly day-one in any tournament can be hectic. It was no different at the ISA junior open, a national three-star squash event, on Wednesday with 177 matches scheduled in the day.
Keen contests were few but the one which picked itself as the day's rewarding experience involved two seeded players Veer Chotrani and the higher seeded Siddanth Iyer, both Maharashtra players in the U-17 section.
Veer, son of former national champion Manish Chotrani, showed he is quickly inheriting the finer points of the sport from his father with a display that was impressive. Showing good control over his strokes and placing the ball with a touch of intelligence, the young lad, who could still play in the U-15 section but preferred a higher challenge, outdid his higher seeded Sidhanth in straight games 11-9, 11-7, 14-12.
On a day of non-stop action, the Veer-Siddanth match provided some absorbing moments. Not a great mover like his opponent, Veer compensates with his wristy touches. His assurance close to the tin was pleasing to watch as he showed the touch to find the area just above the tin or send Siddanth the wrong way with an imperceptible turn of the wrist.
Two matches in the day can be tiring but Veer was a satisfied young player at the end as he moved into the pre-quarterfinal round. The day ended with all winners moving into the pre-quarterfinal round.
