Chetan, Pawar storm into title round

Neha Pandit and Sayali Gokhale to meet in womens final

Putting up an all-court performance, Anand outclassed his PSPB colleague Kashyap 21-11, 21-12 in 30 minutes in the men’s singles semifinal on the Cricket Club of India’s refurbished court.

In Sunday’s final, he will meet Mumbai-born Air India shuttler Anand Pawar. The fourth seed took slightly longer to subdue his semifinal opponent, seventh seed Guru Sai Dutt of Andhra Pradesh, 21-12, 21-14. In the women’s final, fifth seed Neha Pandit of Maharashtra, who scalped top seed Aditi Mutatkar in a morning quarterfinal clash and then ousted sixth seed Gayatri Vartak in th efinal-four match, will cross swords with National champion Sayali Gokhale, who has been good form throught this tournament.

Neha outclassed Gayatri 21-8, 21-13 while Sayali got the better of a fighting, unseeded Trupti Murgunde of PSPB 21-19, 14-21, 21-18 in a 70-minute affair. Pawar and Dutt, who finally stopped the splendid run of State-mate K Tanishaq in the morning quarterfinal 21-10, 21-13, level-pegged for the better part of the second game before the former stepped up the pace from 13-all and raced to victory. The match lasted for 38 minutes.

PTI

Results: Men’s singles, semifinals: 1-Chetan Anand (PSPB) bt 3-P Kashyap (PSPB) 21-11, 21-12; 4-Anand Pawar (AI) bt 7-Guru Sai Dutt (AP) 21-12, 21-14.

Doubles, semifinals: 1-Rupesh K (PSPB)/Sanave Thomas (Ker) bt Jaseel Ismail/Jaison Xavier (Ker) 21-10, 21-14.

Women’s singles, semifinals: 5-Neha Pandit (Mah) bt 6-Gayatri Vinayak (Mah) 21-8, 21-13; 2-Sayali Gokhale (AI) bt Trupti Murgunde (PSPB) 21-19, 14-21, 21-18.