Date:15/06/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/06/15/stories/2003061503621700.htm

Sport - Table Tennis

Pradeepa stages splendid rally

By Our Sports Reporter

T. Pradeepa of PSPB, who staged a remarkable rally to defeat B. Bhuvaneswari and enter the semifinals of the Mayors Cup all-India invitation table tennis championship in Bangalore on Saturday, is a picture of concentration as she prepares to serve.

BANGALORE June 14. True to seedings and expectations, the top four men in contention took their appointed places in the semifinals of the Mayors Cup all-India invitation table tennis championship at the KGS Club premises here this evening.

But for the second successive day, Nandita Saha wrote her own script, shutting out third-ranked Poulomi Ghatak with nonchalant ease.

Montu Ghosh and T. Pradeepa, also from the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), had to dig into their reserves to overcome doughty opponents, Vishaka Bijoy and B. Bhuvaneswari, respectively.

Pradeepa looked both sluggish and over ambitious to start with. With the sleepy-eyed Bhuvaneswari content in keeping the ball on the table, her more adventurous Statemate made all the mistakes and in a flash former India No. 2 Bhuvaneswari was three games up.

That was the wake up call that Pradeepa needed and in time the stocky Indian Oil Officer pulled up her socks to do a Houdini for a remarkable come from behind win at 6-11, 5-11, 13-15, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5.

Steadying her game, Pradeepa played her counters well and pegged Bhuvaneswari to the backhand before unleashing her flicks and jabs to good effect. In the last four games, Pradeepa took a handy lead early on and maintained it for a thrilling win.

Pradeepa meets top seed and India No. 2, Mouma Das in the semifinals.

Mouma outclassed V. Ranjitha of Karnataka effortlessly at 11-4, 11-2, 11-8, 12-10 in just over 15 minutes.

Montu Ghosh missed a few high tosses and failed to get her backhand jabs working. But Vishaka Bijoy of RSCB lacked the experience and the wherewithal to make the most of it. Vishaka did recover from 1-3 down to make it 3-3 and even bridged a 5-10 deficit in the decider only to concede two negative points for Montu to wrap up the match at 11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10.

Nandita Saha completed the women's semifinal line-up with a straight games win at 11-7, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 over fellow PSPB mate Poulomi Ghatak, who just could not get her game going today. Nandita plays Montu in the semifinals.

S. Raman showed his class against youngster Shubham Choudhary of RSCB. The top-ranked Indian did fumble against Shubham's forehand top-spin in the second game but then on showed who the `master' was with a 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2 victory.

Raman will play another promising youngster Ranbir Das, also from the Railway Sports Control Board (RSCB).

Ranbir, the top junior, has had a few creditable wins in the senior ranks too. Today the 19-year-old added the scalp of LIC's R. Rajesh with an authoritative display that ensured his 7-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 win.

The results:

Men (quarterfinals): S. Raman (PSPB) bt Shubham Choudhary (RSCB) 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2; Ranbir Das (RSCB) bt R. Rajesh (LIC) 7-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8; Saurav Chakraborty (RSCB) bt Pathik Mehta (Guj) 11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8; A. Sharath Kamal (PSPB) bt Bhushan Thakur (RSCB) 11-9, 12-10, 11-8, 11-4.

League: Group A: S. Raman bt Bhushan Thakur 5-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-6; S. Raman bt Anal Kashyap 10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 16-14; Nupur Santra (RSCB) bt D.N. Guru Prasad (Kar) 11-2, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7; Anal Kashyap bt D.N. Guru Prasad 11-8, 11-6, 11-5.

Group B: Sharath Kamal bt Rajeev Ghai (IOC) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8; Sharath Kamal bt Shubham Choudhary 11-9, 11-4, 11-4; Prithviraj Bose (RSCB) bt Kunal Telang (Kar) 9-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-4, 11-8; Rajeev Ghai bt Kunal Telang 11-7, 11-7, 11-7.

Group C: Saurav Chakraborty bt R. Rajesh 119, 11-8, 14-12; Anirban Nandi (RSCB) bt G. Ravishankar (Kar) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6; Saurav Chakraborty bt Anirban Nandi 11-6, 11-7, 11-8; Amit Das (CoE) bt G. Ravishankar 11-7, 15-13, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8.

Group D: Ranbir Das bt Karthik M. Urs (Kar) 11-3, 11-5, 11-8; Ranbir Das bt Amit Mukherjee (Ben) 11-6, 11-7, 11-5; Pathik Mehta bt Uday S. Athreya (Kar) 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5; Uday S. Athreya bt Amit Mukherjee 11-7, 12-1 (conceded).

Women (quarterfinals): T. Pradeepa (PSPB) bt B. Bhuvaneswari (PSPB) 6-11, 5-11, 13-15, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5; Mouma Das (PSPB) bt V. Ranjitha (Kar) 11-4, 11-2, 11-8, 12-10; Montu Ghosh (PSPB) bt Vishaka Bijoy (RSCB) 11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10; Nandita Saha (PSPB) bt Poulomi Ghatak (PSPB) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6.