Date:01/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/01/stories/2004080103071600.htm

Sport - Table Tennis

Vinod, Selvi clinch titles

MADURAI, JULY 31. Second-seeded G. Vinod of Southern Railway Sports Association, Chennai, won the men's singles title defeating the eighth seed Selvamuthukumaran of YMIA-Mylapore, Chennai, 11-13, 15-13, 12-14, 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 in the final of the ninth Tamil Nadu State-ranking table tennis tournament conducted jointly by Ellis Table Tennis Coaching Academy and Madurai District Table Tennis Association here on Saturday.

As expected, N. Arul Selvi won the women's singles title at the expense of B. Bhuvaneswarai of BPCL in the final.

Selvamuthukumaran relied mostly on his forehand top-spin shots which were inconsistent, whereas Vinod proved to be good in his forehand and backhand. However, in the first three games Selvamuthukumaran fought well. But in the fourth, Vinod was in the lead from the beginning and took the game at 11-8. Vinod went into a 7-0 lead in the fifth and won 11-2. In the sixth game Selvamuthukumar, trailing 5-10, came up with a good fight and narrowed the lead to 9-10 before losing.

Earlier, there was an upset in the pre-quarterfinals as unseeded R.S. Raja of Medimix toppled the top seed A. Rajath Kamal of Indian Bank but Raja lost to Selvamuthukumaran in the quarterfinals. Mrs. Shirly Paul, senior Principal, SBOA MHSS, presided and gave away the prizes.

The results:

Men's singles (final): G. Vinod (SRSA) bt Selvamuthukumaran (YMIA-Mylapore) 11-13, 15-13, 12-14, 11-8, 11-2, 11-9. Semifinals: G. Vinod bt R. Rajesh (LIC) 11-7, 17-19, 11-7, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8; Selvamuthukumaran bt R. Abishek (IB) 13-11, 11-7, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9.

Junior boys (final): Sivananda Seshadri (IB) bt M. Subash (IB) 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6. Semifinals: Sivananda Seshadri bt S. Prasanna (MDX) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4; M. Subash bt R. Raja (MDX) 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10.

Sub-junior boys (final): G. Sathiyan (MDX) bt P. Karthik (MDX) 11-6, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7. Semifinals: G. Sathiyan bt R. Venkataramanan (LTTA) 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4; P. Karthik bt Ajay Bharadwaj (MDX) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10, 13-11.

Cadet boys (final): G. Sathiyan bt Sushmit Sriram (Rly OC) 11-6, 11-3, 11-5; Semifinals: G. Sathiyan bt S. Sudharsan (LTTA) 11-6, 12-10, 11-3; Sushmit Sriram bt S.R. Anandakannan (MDX) 11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9.

Mini cadet boys (final): D. Sameera Kumar (Cuddalore) bt M. Kalaivannan (SDAT) 11-3, 12-10, 11-7. Semifinals: D. Sameera Kumar bt Anandaraj (SDAT) 11-3, 14-12, 10-12, 9-11, 11-4; M. Kalaivannan bt Aditya Bagari (Rly OC) 11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7.

Women (final): N. Arul Selvi (IB) bt B. Bhuvaneswari (BPCL) 11-9, 7-11, 13-11, 11-8, 12-10. Semifinals: Selvi bt K. Shamini (IB) 10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-3; B. Bhuvaneswari bt A.V. Nivedita (IB) 7-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.

Junior girls (final): K. Shamini (IB) bt V.S. Nirupama (PSBB) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5. Semifinals: K. Shamini bt A.V. Nivedita 13-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9; V.S. Nirupama bt R. Swetha Khatri (MDX) 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6.

Sub-junior girls (final): Sumana R. Krishnan (Ransa) bt K. Aishwarya (LTTA) 1-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9; Semifinals: Sumana R. Krishnan bt M. Swetha (SDAT) 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6; K. Aishwarya bt K.K. Narmadha (LTTA) 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4.

Cadet girls (final): V. Sneha (VVV) bt Harshita Ravi (MDX) 11-6, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10.

Mini cadet girls (final): S. Narasimha Priya bt T. Reeth Rishya (MDX) 12-10, 12-10, 11-7. Semifinals: Priya bt R. Shruti (Ransa) 11-7, 11-7, 11-13, 11-8; Reeth bt V.J. Anubarathi (DL) 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8.