National Ranking Table Tennis Championships: Balamurugan Muthu, Hardee Patil win U-15 titles

Young table tennis player Balamurugan Muthu of Tamil Nadu defeated Priyanuj Bhattacharyya of Assam 4-1 (11-7, 13-15, 11-1, 13-11, 11-5) to win the Youth Boys U-15 title at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships (South Zone) on Saturday.

This is Balamurugan's second consecutive U-15 title.

Maharashtra table tennis player Hardee Patil won the Youth Girls U-15 crown when she downed Sharvani Nagam 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5).

Balamurugan, who won the first title of the season at Dehradun, began well and caused his opponent considerable trouble, despite dropping the second game.

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He was so dominant that he allowed Priyanuj only one solitary point in the third game and sealed the Assam table tennis player's fate soon after.

Hardee, winning her maiden crown, also dropped her second game before overcoming resistance from the Tamil Nadu table tennis player. However, it was the first game that set the ball rolling for the Maharashtra table tennis player.

Sharvani feasted on unforced errors in the next game but couldn’t make any more progress as Hardee went from strength to strength.

Table tennis players sweat it out in semi-finals

In the semi-finals, Balamurugan Muthu got the better of Maharashtra table tennis player Kushal Chopda 4-2 (11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8).

Balamurugan was leading three games to nil when he dropped the fourth and fifth games to allow the Maharashta table tennis player to crawl back.

However, Balamurugan upped the ante in the sixth game to put the contest to bed.

In the second semi-final in the boys category, Priyanuj Bhattacharyya beat Tamil Nadu table tennis player Bivyaj Roy 4-2 (11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 14-12).

In the girls category Hardee Patel got the better of Sayani Panda of NCOE 4-1 (11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10) whereas Sharvani Nagam beat Bengal table tennis player Sandika Bhattacharjee 4-2 (12-10, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9).

Results of National Ranking Table Tennis Championships

Youth Boys U-15 Final: Balamurugan Muthu (TNTTA) bt Priyanuj Bhattacharyya 11-7, 13-15, 11-1, 13-11, 11-5.

Semifinals: Balamurugan Muthu bt Kushal Chopda (Mah) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8; Priyanuj Bhattacharyya bt Divyaj Roy (TTFI) 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 14-12.

Quarterfinals: Balamurugan Muthu bt Oishik Ghosh (Ben) 11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10; Kushal Chopda bt Aashay Yadav (Mah) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5; Divyaj Roy bt Saikat Sutradahar (Har) 11-8, 11-5, 10-12, 11-8; Priyanuj Bhattacharya bt Neil Mulye (Mah) 15-13, 11-7, 11-8.

Youth Girls U-15 Final: Hardee Patel (Mah) bt Sharvani Nagam (TTTA) 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5.

Semifinals: Sharvani Nagam bt Sandika Bhattacharjee (Ben) 12-10, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9; Hardee Patel bt Sayani Panda (NCOE) 11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10.

Quarterfinals: Sandika Bhattacharjee bt M. Hansini (TNTTA) 13-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9; Sharvani Nagam bt Prisha Goel (Del) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9; Sayani Panda bt Nandini Saha (Ben) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4; Hardee Patel bt Jennifer Varghese (Mah) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7.