Shreyal battles past Charan to clinch crown

Table tennis: State ranking tournament

The 13-year-old Shreyal, who won the sub-junior final on Friday, came up with a clinical performance against Sports Authority of India’s Charan, who looked rusty from the start.
The 14-year-old Charan, who has lost to Shreyal twice this year, lacked the fluency that carried him all the way to the title round, though Shreyal conceded too many free points to hand Charan a 1-0 lead in the best of seven match.

In the second game, Charan rushed to a 4-0 lead but Shreyal scored four points in quick succession to even the scores. Charan scored a point off his serve to take the lead again but Shreyal used his flat spin serve and agility around the table to wrap up the game.
Charan made changes to his serve and looked more aggressive in the third game but Shreyal, who raced to an 8-2 lead, played the waiting game well and his ploy bore fruit.

Shreyal went in for the kill in the fourth game with a series of forehand smashes backed by a good serve.

Despite a late surge of points from Charan that saw him level the game at 9-9, Shreyal kept his nerve to open up a 3-1 cushion.

Shreyal, who packed off seventh seed V Pradeep of BNM in the semifinal, came out all guns blazing to take a 7-3 lead in the fifth game. Charan gave up the fight to hand Shreyal easy points before the second seed sealed the title win.

Second-seeded N Poojitha of Horizon Table Tennis Academy staged a surprise 11-3, 11-3, 11-7, 12-14, 14-12 win over top seed Shubhashree to take the junior girls title.
Earlier, Poojitha defeated Maitreyee Bailoor while Shubhashree battled past Madhurya in the semifinals.

DH News Service

Results:

Junior boys, final: 2-Shreyal K Telang (BNM) bt 1-VP Charan (SAI) 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7.

Semifinals: Charan bt 4-Vedanth M Urs (PTTA) 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-6; Shreyal bt 7-V Pradeep (BNM) 11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 13-11.

Quarterfinals: Shreyal bt 6-R Harshith (Star) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, 11-2; Pradeep bt Madan Kumar (Star) 4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 13-11, 11-4; Vedanth bt KB (Hor) 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3; Charan bt 8-Sunand Vasan (Hor) 11-3, 16-14, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7.

Junior girls, final: 2-N Poojitha (Hor) bt 1-Shubhashree (SAI) 11-3, 11-3, 11-7, 12-14, 14-12.

Semifinals: Shubhashree bt 5-Madhurya (PTTA) 11-5, 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5; Poojitha bt 3-Maitreyee Bailoor (Belgaum) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8.

Quarterfinals: Subhashree bt Ridhi Rohit (PTTA) 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8; Poojitha bt 7-Malathi (BNM) 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5; Madhurya bt 4-Bhavana (JTTA) 11-4, 11-1, 13-11, 11-5; Maitreyee bt Aiswarya 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7.