Date:22/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/22/stories/2007102260672000.htm

Sport - Table Tennis

Swetha, Sivananda win

Sports Reporter

CHENNAI: Swetha Kumaravel (Indian Bank) and Sivananda Seshadri (Lord’s TTA) clinched the women’s and men’s titles respectively in the Transworld Group 13th State-ranking table tennis tournament at the Hall of TT, Nehru Stadium here on Sunday.

Swetha won her maiden title this season with a facile 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 win over A.V. Niveditha (IOC) in the summit clash. Swetha seemed to give in to pressure in the fourth game. Leading 5-0 and 7-2, the trainee of Maharishi Vidya Mandir Club, lost focus even as Niveditha fought back to 8-7. Swetha, however, remained calm and ensured she just kept the ball in play and it paid off.

It was an evenly contested men’s final. Trailing by two games to three, Sivananda seemed tired and out by the end of the fifth game, but the 17-year-old regrouped well to post an 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 14-12, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8 win over the top-seed Rajath Kamal (FCI) for his third title. The State championship will be held in Tirupur on October 27 and 28.

The results: Men (final): Sivananda Seshadri (LTTA) bt A. Rajath Kamal (FCI) 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 14-12, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8. Semifinals: Rajath bt R.S. Raja (SDAT-C) 11-8, 11-13, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7; Sivananda bt M. Subash (SRSA) 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-9.

Junior boys (final): R. Venkataramanan (LTTA) bt S. Prasanna (SDAT-C) 3-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.

Sub-juniors (final): M.N. Anish (SDAT-AKG) bt A. Kamal Teja (PSBB) 3-11, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10, 11-5.

Cadet (final): V. Abinay (YMCA-Kilpauk) bt Sachin Viswanath (SDAT-AKG) 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9.

Mini-cadet (final): Sachin Viswanath (SDAT-AKG) bt Rahul Krishna (Rukmani TTA) 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10.

Women (final): Swetha Kumaravel (IB) bt A.V. Niveditha (IOC) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7.

Semifinals: Niveditha bt N. Sathyabama (SDAT-AKG) 12-10, 6-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8; Swetha bt S. Kavitha (LTTA) 7-11, 11-5, 11-1, 11-5, 14-12.

Junior girls (final): N. Vidya (SDAT-AKG) bt K.K. Narmadha (IB) 15-13, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8.

Sub-juniors (final): T. Reeth Rishya (St. Joseph’s) bt S. Krithicka (SDAT-AKG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6.

Cadets (final): Amrutha Pushpak (SDAT-AKG) bt C. Antara (SBOA) 6-11, 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9.

Mini-cadets (final): Abinaya Ramesh (Erode) bt Harsha Vardhini (Ransa) 5-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8.