A day of intensity, upsets, and rising talent unfolded at the fourth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, as the U-19 Youth Nationals delivered gripping pre-quarterfinal battles at the Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium.
From straightforward sweeps to nerve-wracking five-game duels, the round showcased the depth of emerging Indian paddlers and set up a compelling set of quarterfinal clashes for the evening. Across both Boys’ and Girls’ categories, established names handled their tasks with authority, while several others had to dig deep to stay afloat, hinting at the competitive parity running through the draw.
Assam’s Priyanuj Bhattacharyya delivered one of the standout performances of the day, dismantling Delhi’s Sudhanshu Maini 11-2, 11-2, 13-11. Dominant from the start, Priyanuj’s speed and early-ball control left little room for Sudhanshu to settle, though the third game offered brief resistance.
PSPBA’s Sahil Rawat also turned in a strong effort. After dropping the opening game to West Bengal’s Oishik Ghosh, Sahil recalibrated, winning 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5. His tactical mid-match adjustments especially tighter receives and deeper counters shifted the contest decisively in his favour. Tamil Nadu enjoyed a successful day through M. Senthil Kumar and M. Balamurugan. Senthil defeated NCOE’s Sounav Barman in straight yet closely fought games, while Balamurugan posted a composed 3-0 win over Karnataka’s Atharva Nawarange, navigating an extended third game with composure.
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The most gripping match belonged to Maharashtra’s Kushal Chopda, who prevailed in a roller-coaster five-game battle against AAI’s K. Segal Singh. Kushal’s 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 10-12, 11-6 win featured multiple swings in momentum, but his assured play in the decider earned him a hearty ovation from spectators. Himachal Pradesh’s Naman Bhatnagar overcame Tamil Nadu’s Umesh Kumar 3-1 in a steady performance, while West Bengal’s Punit Biswas engineered one of the day’s biggest comebacks. Down two games against Priyanshu Karmakar, Punit stormed back to win 3-2 with a remarkable 11-1 finish in the decider.
Bihar’s Harshit Kumar closed the boys’ line-up with another five-game thriller, beating Odisha’s Sarthak Arya 3-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10 in a gripping contest full of long rallies and momentum shifts.
Girls: Hansini leads the charge; Avisha, Kavya shine
Tamil Nadu’s rapidly rising star M. Hansini played with maturity beyond her years, registering a controlled 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 victory over West Bengal’s Ankolika Chakraborty. Hansini showed excellent balance under pressure, particularly in the tight third game that swung the match. West Bengal’s Avisha Karmakar recorded one of the cleanest wins of the round, sweeping FCI’s Vanshika Mudgal 3-0. Tamil Nadu’s Shriya Anand followed with an equally commanding 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 victory over Maharashtra’s Hardee Patel, maintaining control from the outset.
Maharashtra’s Kavya Bhatt battled through one of the toughest contests of the session, edging West Bengal’s Subhankrita Datta 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6. Kavya’s poise in the final game, especially her willingness to step in on half-long serves, proved decisive.
Tamil Nadu’s Ananya Muralidharan advanced with a 3-1 win over UP’s Avani Tripathi, recovering well after dropping the third game. Delhi’s Sayanika Maji produced a solid straight-games win over West Bengal’s Ditsa Roy, while Maharashtra’s Divyanshi Bhowmick continued her crisp run with a 3-0 win over Delhi’s Riddhima Kapoor.
West Bengal’s Syndrela Das capped the girls’ round with another assured 3-0 victory, defeating Maharashtra’s Sukrati Sharma.
Meanwhile, in the men’s and women’s singles events, the round of 64 brought early drama as a few top-16 seeds made premature exits an indicator of the depth and unpredictability on display across age groups. The remaining players will continue their campaigns tomorrow, while tonight’s pre-quarterfinals set the stage for high-stakes clashes.
Youth Boys U-19: Pre-quarterfinals: Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) bt Sudhanshu Maini (Del) 11-2, 11-2, 13-11; Sahil Rawat (PSPBA) bt Oishik Ghosh (WB) 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5; M. Senthil Kumar (TN) bt Sounav Barman (NCOE) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9; Kushal Chopda (Mah) bt K. Segal Singh (AAI) 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 10-12, 11-6; M. Balamurugan (TN) bt Atharva Nawarange (Kar) 11-7, 11-8, 12-10; Naman Bhatnagar (HP) bt Umesh Kumar (TN) 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8; Punit Biswas (WB) bt Priyanshu Karmakar (WB) 11-13, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-1; Harshit Kumar (Bhr) bt Sarthak Arya (Ods) 3-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10.
Youth Girls U-19: Pre-quarterfinals: M.Hansini (TN) bt Ankolika Chakraborty (WB) 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8; Avisha Karmakar (WB) bt Vanshika Mudgal (FCI) 11-9, 11-2, 11-9; Shriya Anand (TN) bt Hardee Patel (Mah) 11-5, 11-6, 11-5; Kavya Bhatt (Mah) bt Subhankrita Datta (WB) 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6; Ananya Muralidharan (TN) bt Avani Tripathi (UP) 11-5, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6; Sayanika Maji (Del) bt Ditsa Roy (WB) 11-3, 11-9, 11-9; Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) bt Riddhima Kapoor (Del) 11-6, 11-2, 11-6; Syndrela Das (WB) Sukrati Sharma (Mah) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3.
