Date:24/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/24/stories/2006082410472000.htm

Sport - Badminton

Mohit Kamat enters final

Special Correspondent

MANDYA: Second seed Mohit Kamat scored a dramatic 21-13, 22-20 victory over V. Amar to reach the men's final of the State badminton championships at the PET Stadium Courts here on Wednesday.

After wrapping up the first game, Mohit struggled in the second and was trailing 7-11, 9-16 and 10-19 before rallying his way out of trouble. An emotionally drained Mohit broke down after his triumph.

Engrossing tie

In the final, Mohit will face top seed Rohan Castelino, who defeated B.S. Phalgun 21-16, 17-21, 21-9 in an engrossing match.

In the U-19 boys' semifinals, Aditya R. Prakash defeated B.S. Phalgun 21-17, 21-18. Aditya has earlier won the U-16 title.

Meanwhile, top seeds Ruthmisha (girls' U-19) and Anup Kiran (Boys' U-19) were upset in their respective semifinals. Ruthmisha lost to Ashwini Ponnappa 18-21, 21-18, 15-21 while Anup Kiran, nursing an injured wrist, lost to Shashank Achar 17-21, 12-21.

However, Ruthmisha made it to the singles' final with a 21-11, 21-13 win over Nitya Sosale. She will face Nischitha in the title clash.

The results:

Men: Singles (semifinals): Mohit Kamat bt V. Amar 21-13, 22-20; Rohan Castelino bt. B.S. Phalgun 21-16, 17-21, 21-9. Quarterfinals: Rohan Castelino bt Aditya Prakash 21-7, 21-8; B.S. Phalgun bt Shashank Achar 21-19, 21-11; V. Amar bt P.K. Vinay Dev 21-19, 21-16; Mohit Kamat bt M.D. Anupkiran 21-18, 18-21, 21-13.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Guruprasad & Vineet Manuel bt Anil Pradhan & Bopanna 21-9, 21-18; Rohan Castelino & Saquib Ilyas bt Shashank Achar & B.S. Phalgun 21-13, 21-14; Harsha Kumar & Venkatesh Prasad bt Prajesh & Shobin 21-18, 21-19; Adip Nayak & Shashank Sastry bt M.D. Anupkiran & Aditya Prakash 21-12, 21-11.

U-19: Singles (semifinals): Aditya Prakash bt B.S. Phalgun 21-17, 21-18; Shashank Achar bt Anup Kiran 21-17, 21-12. Quarterfinals: Anup Kiran bt Venkatesh Prasad 21-16, 21-16; Shashank Achar bt Mohan Kumar 9-2 (retd.); Aditya Prakash bt G. Swaroop 21-14, 21-16; B.S. Phalgun bt Prateek Khurana 21-15, 21-10.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Shashank Achar & B.S. Phalgun bt Anup B.J. & K.N. Chetan 21-16, 21-17; Mohan Kumar & Harshil bt Shah Harsha Kumar & Venkatesh P. 21-10, 21-19; Aditya Prakash & Swaroop G. bt K.B. Arun & K.B. Ajay 17-21, 21-7, 21-15; Anupkiran & Prateek K. w/o Rishiket Y. & Niranjan R.J.

Women: Singles (semifinals): V. Ruthmisha bt Nitya Sosale 21-11, 21-13; Nischitha bt Saumya P. 21-6, 21-19.

Quarterfinals: Ruthmisha bt Adfa Taqui 1/0 (retd); Nitya Sosale w/o Monisha Vinayak; G.M. Nischitha bt Ashwini Ponnappa 18-21, 21-17, 21-18; Saumya Padhye bt Manvi Rao 21-16, 21-18.

U-19: Singles (semifinals): Ashwini Ponnappa bt Ruthmisha 21-18, 18-21, 21-15; G.M. Nischitha bt Sayalee Malgave 21-10, 21-13.

Doubles (final): Adfa Taqui & Shruthi Sridhar bt K. Sonal More & Sayali Malgave 21-12, 21-15.

Mixed doubles (quarterfinals): Nitya Sosale & Vineet Manuel bt Yashica Poonacha & Mohit Kamat 21-15, 14-21, 21-18; Ashwini Ponnappa & Harshil Shah bt Adfa Taqui & Adeeb T. Ahmed 21-11, 21-8; Nischitha & Phalgun bt Manvirao & Shashank S. 25-23, 22-20.

Veterans: Singles (final): Jayaram Pai bt Vinay Siddaraj 21-6, 21-9.

Semifinals: Jayaram Pai bt S.K.B. Naidu 21-13, 21-12; Vinay Siddaraj bt K.P. Vasanth Kumar 21-15, 21-13.