The second edition of the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships got underway at the Thyagaraj Stadium today, with the Under-19 Girls’ qualification rounds providing an action-packed opening to the eight-day event.
From seeded players stamping their authority to underdogs forcing surprises, the first day offered a taste of the drama to come. Among the early highlights, Delhi’s Archa Jain stood out with a fighting win over Bengal’s Pritha Talukdar. After dropping the opening game, Archa regrouped impressively to post a 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2 victory in Group 3. Her composure in the decider reflected tactical maturity beyond her years.
However, Archa’s path is set to get tougher. She faces Maharashtra’s Hardee Patel in her next outing a daunting challenge given Hardee’s straight-games win over her in a previous meeting. Hardee has already shown sharpness in the group stages and will look to confirm her top-spot credentials with a win against Pritha.
Local Cheer and Close Battles
For the home crowd, Delhi’s Sandhya Kumari provided a moment to celebrate, coming through a tight five-game contest against Pondicherry’s S. Shivasri. Sandhya’s 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9 win highlighted her nerve under pressure, something that became a common theme across the day. Haryana’s Tanmayee Saha also delivered a gritty performance, edging Maharashtra’s Anoushka Patil 3-2 after being pushed deep in the decider. Delhi’s Tushti Sood added to the thrillers with a narrow win over Bengal’s Snigdha Das, while Kerala’s Dhaani Jain boosted her prospects with successive victories to stay in strong contention for the knockouts.
Radhika Sparks Early Upset
One of the standout results of the opening day came from Rajasthan’s Radhika Soni, who stunned Tamil Nadu’s higher-ranked K. Ananya in a five-game battle. Radhika’s resilience in closing out the last two games not only secured her a memorable win but also dented the confidence of her fancied rival. Bengal’s Soumya Das too showed fighting spirit, clawing back from a 1-2 deficit to defeat Rajasthan’s Sunidhi Dewan in another gripping contest.
Beyond the headline names, the day featured several matches that underlined the depth of talent in the field. Maharashtra’s Pratik Yedke was stretched to the limit by UP’s Vansh Sundriyal, while NCOE’s Shrijoyee Mukherjee fought back from two games down to beat Somya Singh. Her teammate Ardita Das, however, fell short in a five-game battle against UP’s Ayushi Singhal.
In perhaps the tightest clash of the day, UP’s Samriddhi Sharma edged Delhi’s Aarna Gauhar Ahuja 3-2, clinching the decider 14-12 after a see-saw encounter that had the small crowd on its feet.
With the U-19 Girls’ qualification rounds already producing nail-biting duels, the spotlight will soon shift to the men’s paddlers, who are set to begin their campaigns later in the evening. If the opening day’s action is any indication, the Thyagaraj Stadium is in for a week of high-quality rallies, emerging stars, and more than a few surprises.
