The SAMA Indoor Stadium saw high drama at Vadodara TT Nationals on Sunday as the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships produced two of its biggest shocks yet.
No. 2 seed Ankur Bhattacharjee of West Bengal and No. 3 seed G. Sathiyan of PSPB were both knocked out in the men’s singles quarterfinals, falling to inspired performances from lower-seeded opponents.
Seventh seed SFR Snehit (IA&AD) delivered a controlled yet aggressive display to oust Ankur 3-1, mixing sharp service variations with timely attacking bursts to keep his higher-ranked opponent under constant pressure. In another surprise, No. 11 seed Ronit Bhanja (Railways) capitalized on Sathiyan’s inconsistency to notch a 3-1 win. Sathiyan, who had narrowly survived a five-game Round-of-16 battle against Tamil Nadu’s P.B. Abhinand, faltered in key moments, allowing Ronit to dictate the latter stages.
While the upsets dominated the men’s draw, top seed and reigning national champion Manush Shah (RBI) stayed on track for another title run. The elegant left-hander controlled proceedings in a composed 3-1 win over No. 8 seed Akash Pal (Railways), showing the same precision and rhythm that have become his trademarks.
Women’s Singles: Favourites Largely Untroubled
The women’s quarterfinals followed a more predictable script, though not without moments of drama. Top seed Diya Chitale (RBI) eased into the semifinals with a commanding 3-0 victory over No. 8 seed Krittwika Sinha Roy (PSPB). She will next face Railways’ Anusha Kutumbale, who showcased grit and composure in a five-game win over No. 4 seed Sutirtha Mukherjee.
Third seed Swastika Ghosh (Maharashtra) wasted no time in overpowering qualifier Prithoki Chakraborty (FCI) 3-0, while second seed Yashaswini Ghorpade was pushed the distance by qualifier Divyanshi Bhowmick before prevailing 3-2.
Earlier Rounds See Close Battles and Routine Wins
The men’s pre-quarterfinals served up two five-game thrillers. Payas Jain edged out Delhi’s Sudhanshu Grover after a tense see-saw battle, finding another gear in the decider to win 3-2. Sathiyan was forced to dig deep against Abhinand, eventually surviving 3-2 despite nearly conceding the final game. The other matches were more straightforward, with Manush, Akash, Divyansh Srivastava, Ronit, Snehit, and Ankur advancing without major trouble.
In the women’s pre-quarterfinals, most ties followed expectations, but there were pockets of resistance. Krittwika held her nerve in a tight five-game win over Maharashtra’s Jennifer Varghese. Swastika, already two games up against Kavya Bhatt, allowed her opponent back into the match before closing it out in the fifth. Prithoki also showed composure to defeat Sneha Bhowmick 3-2 after squandering a lead.
Men’s Singles – Quarterfinal Results
- Manush Shah (RBI) bt Akash Pal (RSPB) 11-9, 11-3, 11-8
- Payas Jain (Delhi) bt Divyansh Srivastava (PSPB) 12-10, 13-11, 11-1
- Ronit Bhanja (RSPB) bt G. Sathiyan (PSPB) 5-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-5
- SFR Snehit (IA&AD) bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (WB) 12-10, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9
Women’s Singles – Quarterfinal Results
- Diya Chitale (RBI) bt Krittwika Sinha Roy (PSPB) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9
- Anusha Kutumbale (RSPB) bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (RSPB) 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9
- Swastika Ghosh (Mah) bt Prithoki Chakraborty (FCI) 11-9, 11-9, 11-3
- Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7
With the top half of the men’s draw shaken up and the women’s seeds largely holding firm, the stage is set for a gripping final phase in Vadodara. For Manush, the quest is to defend his dominance; for Ronit and Snehit, the challenge is to ride the momentum of their upsets.
