State ranking TT: Nagpur's Mallika storms into women's singles semis

NAGPUR: Mallika Bhandarkar kept the Nagpur flag flying high by entering the women’s singles semifinals in the Second Maharashtra State Ranking Table Tennis tournament, organized by the Nagpur District Table Tennis Association (NDTTA), at the Nagpur University Subhedar Hall here on Saturday.
In an exciting quarterfinal, Mallika shocked third seed Charvi Kawle in five hard-fought games.Mallika quelled the spirited challenge of Mumbai Suburban’s Charvi with a brilliant 11-8, 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 15-13 victory to book her place in the last four.
Earlier in the day, sixth seed Mallika overcame Mumbai Suburban’s and 11th seed Mrunmayee Mhatre 11-6, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 in the pre-quarters.
Earlier in the pre-quarters, Nirja More of Mumbai Suburban rallied back superbly to stun second seed Shruti Amrute of Thane 2-11, 4-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9. In another upset, No. 13 seed Shreya Deshpande of Thane knocked out fourth seed Ashlesha Trehan of Mumbai Suburban 4-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8.
In the men’s singles too, a couple of upsets witnessed on the second day. Eleventh seed Vaibhav Dahibhate of Pune surprised sixth seed Yugandh Zende of Thane in six games, while tenth seed Shaurya Pednekar of Mumbai Suburban shocked seventh seed and his district mate Jignesh Rahatwal in straight games.
There were a couple of upsets in the junior boys and junior girls categories too including the boys top seed Aadi Chitnis.
RESULTS
Men’s singles (Pre-quarters): 1-Sanish Ambekar (THN) bt 16-Bhavitavya Shah (MSD) 7-11, 11- 4, 11- 4, 11-9, 11-5; 8-Jash Dalvi (THN) bt Ajinkya Shintre (NSK) 6-11, 11-8, 15-13, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5; 5-Mandar Hardikar (MSD) bt 12-Puneet Desai (NSK) 6-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5; Parthav Kelkar (MCD) bt Gaurav Lohapatre (PNA) 11-4, 11-4, 15-13, 11-8; 3-Shubham Ambre (MCD) bt 14-Mustafa Manager 12-10, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7; 11-Vaibhav Dahibhate (PNA) bt 6-Yugandh Zende (THN) 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7; 10-Shaurya Pednekar (MSD) bt 7-Jignesh Rahatwal (MSD) 11-2, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5; 2-Siddhesh Pande (THN) bt 15-Sanat Bokil (PNA) 11-5, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5.
Women’s singles (Pre-quarters): 1-Srushti Haleangadi (MSD) bt 16-Janhavi Chemburkar (MSD) 12-10, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 12-14, 11-6; 8-Disha Hulawle (THN) bt 9-Jagruti Murbadkar (THN) 11-7, 12-10, 11-2, 10-12, 11-6; 5-Shweta Parte (MCD) bt Prithika Sengupta (PNA) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3; 13-Shreya Deshpande (THN) bt 4-Ashlesha Trehan (MSD) 4-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8; 3-Charvi Kawle (MSD) bt 14-Anushka Chavhan (NSK) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3; 6-Mallika Bhandarkar (NGP) bt 11-Mrunmayee Mhatre (MSD) 11-6, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8; Aditi Sinha (MSD) bt Tejal Kamble (THN) 13-11, 13-15, 11-9, 11-6, 10-12, 12-10; Nirja More (MSD) bt 2-Shruti Amrute (THN) 2-11, 4-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9.