Date:18/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/18/stories/2007091857482000.htm

Sport - Badminton

Sanave, Aneesh in men’s final

Principal Correspondent

KOCHI: National doubles champion Sanave Thomas and K.A. Aneesh lazed into the men’s singles final of the Kerala State senior badminton championship here on Monday but the usual punch was missing from the semifinal fare at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium.

Defending champion Sanave crushed Joy T. Antony, normally a gritty fighter, while the 32-year-old former champion Aneesh led 7-0 in the decider against Thiruvananthapuram’s V. Arun when the latter retired with an injury.

Unlike the men’s event where the familiar faces came to the fore, the women’s section offered much joy and promise with two sub-junior stars — national champion P.C. Thulasi and Kerala champion P.S. Linimol marching to the final.

The results: Men’s singles semifinals: Sanave Thomas (Ekm) bt Joy T. Antony (Ekm) 21-14, 21-11; K.A. Aneesh (Ekm) bt V. Arun (Tvm) 21-12, 18-21, 7-0 (retd).

Quarterfinals: Sanave bt Bennet Antony (Tsr) 21-15, 21-17; Joy bt Alwin Francis (Ekm) 21-16, 17-21, 21-18; Arun bt Antony K. Jacob (Ekm) 21-14, 21-18; Aneesh bt Shanker P. Gopan (Ekm) 21-13, 21-14.

Women’s singles semifinals: P.C. Thulasi (Tsr) bt Nima Lakshmi (Tsr) 21-11, 21-13; P.S. Linimol (Ekm) bt R. Sreeju (Klm) 21-18, 19-21, 21-12.

Quarterfinals: Thulasi bt Annie Cherian (Kzd) 21-5, 21-6; Nima Lakshmi bt Megha Merin Ninan (Tsr) 22-20, 21-19; Sreeju bt Parvathy Suresh (Kzd) 24-22, 21-17.

Men’s doubles semifinals: Jaseel P. Ismail & Sanave Thomas (Ekm) bt George Thomas & Joy T. Antony (Ekm) 21-12, 21-11; Markose Bristow & Jaison Xavier (Ekm) bt Shankar P. Gopan & Alwin Francis (Ekm) 21-14, 21-13.

Women’s doubles semifinals: Merit George & Miral George (Tsr) bt Parvathy Suresh & Annie Cherian (Kzd) 21-17, 21-12; P.C. Thulasi & Megha Merin Ninan (Tsr) bt R. Sreeju & P.S. Anumol (Klm/Ekm) 21-11, 21-13.

Masters men’s singles semifinals: P.G. Thomas (Alp) bt Aji Mathew (Idk) 21-9, 21-14; Roy Kuriakose (Ekm) bt Percy Joseph (Ekm) 21-13, 21-17.

Veteran men’s singles semifinals: Roy Kuriakose (Ekm) bt T. Balan (Knr) 21-19, 21-10; Abdul Salam (Ekm) bt Clifflend Mendez (Tsr) 22-20, 25-23.