National Ranking Table Tennis Championships: Divyansh, Kavyashree emerge supreme

Young table tennis player Divyansh Srivastava of Uttar Pradesh cashed in on Maharashtra paddler Jash Modi’s impatience to clinch a 4-3 win in the Youth Boys U-17 title clash at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships (South Zone) on Friday.

Divyansh Srivastava won 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8.

In the Youth Girls U-17 category, Tamil Nadu table tennis player Kavyashree Baskar denied Suhana Saini the crown, beating the Haryana girl 4-1 (1-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8).

Table tennis title winners sweat it out

Divyansh had to labor for the gold, though he held a comfortable 2-1 lead at one point. The Maharashtra table tennis player's never-say-die attitude kept him in the match until the end.

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The onus was on the UP table tennis player, who let Jash claw his way back, taking the issue to the decider.

But Divyansh, finally taking responsibility, played a crucial game with authority and sealed his opponent’s fate.

Like Divyansh, Kavyashree, too, did not start well. Suhana, with a first-game advantage, failed to mount pressure as the tall Tamil Nadu table tennis player went from strength to strength.

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Surprisingly, Suhana lacked the fighting spirit she is usually known for. Incidentally, this is the first time in several tournaments that the Haryana table tennis player will return home without a gold medal.

Results of National Ranking Table Tennis Championships

Youth Boys U-17 Singles:

Final: Divyansh Srivastava (UP) bt Jash Modi (Mah) 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8.

Semifinals: Jash Modi bt Bodhisatwa Chaudhury (Ben) 9-11, 8-11, 18-16, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8; Divyansh Srivastava bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (Ben) 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9.

Youth Girls U-17 Singles:

Final: Kavyashree Baskar (TTTA) bt Suhana Saini (Har) 1-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

Semifinals: Kavyashree Baskar bt Sneha Bhowmick (Ben) 11-13, 12-14, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5; Suhana Saini bt Lakshita Narang (Del) 12-10, 11-8, 11-5, 12-10.