74th Senior National Table Tennis Championship: Delhi-Petroleum set up final date

Olympian Neha Aggarwal produced a scintillating performance to pave the way for Delhi’s entry in the team final of the 74th Senior National Table Tennis Championship in Raipur.

The 22-year-old stole the thunder as Delhi showed the championship exit door to reigning champions Maharashtra ‘A’ 3-2 in the team semifinals.

The Delhi girl first put it across Divya Deshpande 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 before downing the 2011 National finalist Mamata Prabhu. 11-7, 13-11, 15-13.

Delhi would now take on powerhouse Petroleum in the women’s team final. Petroleum broke little sweat in beating Tamil Nadu 3-0 in the other women’s team semifinal.

In the men’s team event, Petroleum humbled Haryana 3-0. Petroleum riding on India’s top ranked men’s singles player Achanta Sharath Kamal humbled Haryana 3-0.

Petroleum will now play West Bengal, who overcame a spunky Gujarat 3-1 in the semifinals.

Earlier, West Bengal sprang a major surprise when they shocked last year’s runner-up Tamil Nadu 3-2.

Results: (Team championships)

Men: Semifinals: Petroleum bt Haryana 3-0 (Sharath Kamal bt Mohit Verma 11-3, 11-8, 11-6; Soumyajit Ghosh bt Zubin Kumar 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5; Sanil Shetty bt Ayush Tayal 11-5, 12-10, 11-7).

West Bengal bt Gujarat 3-1 (Sougatha Sarkar bt Harmeet Desai 11-8, 11-8, 11-3; Sourav Saha bt Jignesh Jaiswal 11-7, 12-10, 12-14, 11-8; Souvik Kar lost to Pathik Mehta 11-7, 11-13, 15-17, 2-11; Saha bt Desai 7-11, 11-2, 11-9, 12-10).

Women: Semifinals: Delhi bt Maharashtra ‘A’ 3-2 (Manika Batra bt Mamata Prabhu 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10; Neha Aggarwal bt Divya Deshpande 11-9, 11-8, 12-10; Sanya Sehgal lost to Prajakta Tipale 4-11, 9-11, 8-11; Manika lost to Divya 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 10-12; Neha bt Mamata 11-7, 13-11, 15-13).

Petroleum bt Tamil Nadu 3-0 (Ankita Das bt A.V. Nivedita 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3; Madhurika Patkar bt Sumana Krishnan 11-8, 11-3, 11-9; K. Shamini bt N. Vidya 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7).