Date:30/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/30/stories/2008093056862000.htm

Sport - Badminton

Karnataka women deny Andhra Pradesh a clean sweep

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

WINNING SMILES: The Karnataka team which won the South Zone inter-State badminton women’s title.

PUDUCHERRY: Andhra Pradesh bagged three of the four titles at stake in the South Zone inter-state badminton championship, which concluded at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Monday. Barring the women’s title, which was won by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh clinched the rest with a measure of comfort.

AP clinched the men’s title defeating Karnataka 3-1 in the final. In the junior girls’ section, it edged out Kerala 2-1, while in the junior boys’ category, AP blanked Karnataka 2-0.

Guru the star

No praise can be too high for AP’s Guru Sai Dutt. The 18-year-old won his quota of two matches — junior singles and doubles — in the morning and came back in the evening to post impressive victories in the men’s singles and doubles.

In the junior boys’ section, Guru first tamed Aditya Prakash 22-20, 21-18. He then teamed up with Ravi Raj to post a 21-17, 21-16 win over Aditya Prakash and Darshan Kulkarni.

Guru outplayed S.D.S. Krishna to give a head start to AP in the men’s singles. He later partnered childhood friend K. Tarun to script a 21-17, 21-8 win over S.D.S. Krishna and Arun Vishnu.

The victory gave a 2-1 lead to his team.

Very quick on his feet and playing with a sort of control envied by others, Guru was undeniably the star of the tournament. AP’s No. 1 player C.M. Sashidhar closed out the tie with a fighting 21-18, 21-14 win over B.S. Phalgun.

Karnataka too good

Expectedly, Karnataka bagged the women’s crown. The 2-0 triumph over AP was very much on the cards as its two youngsters, 13-year-old P.V. Sindhu and 15-year-old Sikki Reddy had little chance against the seasoned Karnataka players Meenakshi and Ashwini Ponappa.

In the first singles, Meenakshi defeated Sikki 21-14, 21-18. Sikki misjudged several of Meenakshi’s high services, which were bang on target.

Meenakshi and Ashwini then steamrollered over Sikki and Sindhu 21-5, 21-13 in the doubles.

The results (finals): Men: AP bt Karnataka 3-1 (Guru Sai Dutt bt S.D.S. Krishna 21-10, 21-12; Vinay Kumar Reddy lost to Mohit Kamath 10-21, 20-22; Guru Sai Dutt / K. Tarun bt S.D.S. Krishna / Arun Vishnu 21-17, 21-8; C.M. Sashidhar bt B.S. Phalgun 21-18, 21-14).

Junior boys: AP bt Karnataka 2-0 (Guru Sai Dutt bt Aditya Prakash 22-20, 21-18; Guru Sai Dutt / D. Ravi Raj bt Aditya Prakash / Darshan Kulkarni 21-17, 21-16).

Women: Karnataka bt AP 2-0 (B.R. Meenakshi bt Sikki Reddy 21-14, 21-18; Meenakshi / Ashwini Ponappa bt Sikki Reddy / P.V. Sindhu 21-5, 21-13).

Junior girls: AP bt Kerala 2-1 (Sikki Reddy bt P.C. Thulasi 21-16, 21-18; Sikki Reddy / P.V. Sindhu lost to P.C. Thulasi / Daya Elsa Jacob 15-21, 22-24; P.V. Sindhu bt Daya Elsa Jacob 21-14, 21-14).