Date:31/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/31/stories/2008083156322000.htm

Sport - Badminton

Sasidhar and Sindhu take singles titles

Sports Reporter

TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association’s C.M. Sasidhar and Hyderabad’s P.V. Sindhu won the singles titles in the men’s and women’s segments respectively in the State senior badminton championship that concluded at the Sri Srinivasa Sports Complex, here on Saturday.

The Hyderabad-based South Central Railway shuttler Sasidhar, in an 83-minute-long tussle, overcame a determined N. Srujan of Chittoor 21-16, 18-21, 21-14.

Sasidhar excelled near the net and caught Srujan off guard at regular intervals.

Srujan, battling a shoulder injury, fought back well to tame Sasidhar in the second game. In the decider, Sasidhar took advantage of Srujan’s fatigue and injury with a series of long rallies.

The 13-year-old Sindhu, a trainee at Gopi Chand’s Academy, outplayed local girl R. Leelalakshmi 21-16, 21-14 in 25 minutes.

Sindhu played to a plan by pushing Leelalakshmi to the back court and astutely found the vacant spots.

Incidentally, Sindhu had finished runner-up, losing to junior international Sikki Reddy in the State junior championship at Khammam.

In the men’s doubles final which lasted for 30 minutes, Hyderabad’s N.N. Vinayak and Vinay Kumar Reddy defeated Tarun and Prasanth Reddy of APBA 21-17, 21-17.

In the women’s doubles final, the Khammam pair of Deepthi Shalini and Suswetha rallied back to beat the top seeds Sindhu and Manisha 15-21, 21-11, 22-20 in an hour-long tussle.

The results: Men’s singles: Final: C.M. Sasidhar (APBA) bt N. Srujan (Ctr) 21-16, 18-21, 21-14; Semifinals: Sasidhar bt Vinay Kumar Reddy (Hyd) 16-21, 21-13, 19-14 (conceded); Srujan bt Prasanth Reddy (Hyd) 21-12, 21-17.

Men’s doubles: N.N. Vinayak & Vinay Kumar Reddy (Hyd) bt Prasanth Reddy & Tarun 21-17, 21-17; Semifinals: Vinayak & Vinay bt N. Srujan & Lokesh (Ctr) 21-14, 19-21, 21-15; Prasanth & Tarun bt N. Arun & Anil Kumar Raju (APBA) 19-14 (conceded).

Women’s singles: Final: P.V. Sindhu (Hyd) bt R. Leelalakshmi (Ctr) 21-16, 21-14; Semifinals: Sindhu (Hyd) bt O. Aditi (Hyd) 18-21, 21-17, 21-18; Leelalakshmi (Ctr) bt Manisha (Hyd) 21-17, 21-16.

Women’s doubles: Deepthi Shalini & Suswetha (Khm) bt P.V. Sindhu & Manisha (Hyd) 15-21, 21-11, 22-20; Semifinals: Sindhu & Manisha bt I.R.D. Sravani & Sravanthi (Kna) 21-16, 21-15; Shalini & Suswetha (Khm) bt R. Leelalakshmi & Jamuna Rani (Ctr) 21-14, 21-16.