The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Sridhar, Popat reign supreme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

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Sport - Badminton

Sridhar, Popat reign supreme

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 19. Anup Sridhar of Petroleum Sports Board claimed his maiden senior title with a hard-fought 10-15, 15-10, 15-9 victory over Thomas Kurian of Kerala in the men's singles final of the Canara Bank All-India senior ranking badminton championship, which concluded at the Indira Nagar Club courts here on Sunday.

The National champion, Aparna Popat re-asserted her class, beating the second seed, Trupti Murgunde 11-7, 11-6 to claim the women's singles title. Sridhar and Popat claimed Rs.40,000 and Rs.25,000 respectively in prize money.

Kurian won the first game with his consistent returns. But Sridhar, played with a lot more circumspection, chose the right openings and won the second game. In the decider, Sridhar took a 10-3 lead, which ultimately proved insurmountable for Kurian.

In the women's final, Murgunde had Popat in a spot with her drop shots, but the latter, after a tight first game, opened up in the second with flurry of winners and coasted home.

The results:

Men's singles: final: Anup Sridhar (PSPB) bt Thomas Kurian (Ker) 10-15, 15-10, 15-9. (Semifinals): Thomas Kurian bt Mangrish Palekar (Rly.) 15-10, 15-13; Anup Sridhar bt Nikhil Kanetkar (PSPB) 15-5, 15-11.

Women's singles: final: Aparna Popat (PSPB) bt Trupti Murgunde (PSPB) 11-7, 11-6. (Semifinals): Aparna Popat bt Aditi Mutatkar (PSPB) 11-1, 13-10; Trupti Murgunde bt Krishna Deka Raja (Asm) 11-8, 11-5.

Men's doubles: final: Jaseel P. Ismail/V. Diju (PSPB) bt Rupesh Kumar (PSPB)/Sanave Thomas (Ker) 15-13, 15-9. (Semifinals): Rupesh Kumar/Sanave Thomas bt Markose Bristow (PSPB)/Jaison Xavier (Ker) 15-7, 15-6; Jaseel P.Ismail/V. Diju bt J.B.S. Vidyadhar (PSPB)/A. Pridhvi (Rly.) 15-3, 15-9.

Women's doubles: final: B.R. Meenkashi/Ch. Deepthi (PSPB) bt Trupti Murgunde (PSPB)/Fathima Nazneen (Ker) 15-9, 15-3.

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