Soumyadeep, Mythili bag titles

Published : Sep 01, 2001 00:00 IST

S. SABANAYAKAN

THE experimental rules that the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is to introduce in competitions worldwide from September 1 was thoughtfully put to use by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) in the season opening National Ranking (East) meet held in Kolkata from July 29 to August 2. And the rules made tremendous impact, sending pre-meet calculations topsy-turvy.

The 11-point game played with 40mm balls with each server getting just two services alternatively brought about subtle changes in playing style, strategy and tactics. The virtues of consistent play once again came to the fore, leaving many red faces among the top stars of the country. Seedings went haywire and minnows suddenly became giant-killers.

Said the country's best player, Chetan P. Baboor: "This version of table tennis is akin to playing a 20-over limited overs cricket match." Senior players, including leading coaches, felt that within six months the players would get used to the new rules.

In the background, National champion Soumyadeep Roy, top seed here, and women's third-seeded M. S. Mythili showed enough resilience and adaptability to emerge deserving winners of the singles events. Roy of Petroleum Sports Control Board (PSCB) beat teammate, second-seeded Subhajit Saha 11-9, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5 for the title after an entertaining 45 minutes of battle.

Experienced Mythili, also of PSCB, runner-up to Poulami Ghatak at the Cuttack Nationals earlier this year, put paid to the aspirations of the giant-killer from Bengal, Nandita Saha, in a one-sided contest at 11-3, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9.

Saha, a product of the Bengal stable, showed a lot of variation in his game, but lack of consistency caused his defeat to Roy, a Bengal lad but essentially brought up on the regimental training of the PSCB Academy in Ajmer. Despite enjoying a good lead in the first two games, Saha failed to stop Roy from winning them. The top seed lapsed in concentration briefly to lose the third before returning to winning ways to take the crown. The match-up, of course, produced some splendid rallies to enthrall the sizable gathering.

A 17-year-old class XII student, Nandita Saha found to her mortification that the big stage she stepped on for the first time in her budding career was not exactly a bed of roses. Nandita was so nervous that her natural game completely deserted her. She played like a novice and the experienced Mythili exploited the situation to her advantage. "I never thought the contest would be over so quickly," said Mythili after the victory. "She was too tense and could not play her normal game," opined the Bharat Petroleum employee from Chennai.

Till the final, Nandita, the Bengal State women's champion, was the toast of the local crowd. For, the future star of Indian table tennis caused three major upsets en route to the final. She shocked top seed N. R. Indu in the pre-quarterfinals, ousted eighth seed Kasturi Chakraborty of Bengal in the quarterfinals and eliminated fourth seed Mouma Das in the semifinals.

India's best and most experienced player, Chetan P. Baboor of PSCB, seeded sixth here, failed to go past the quarterfinal stage, losing to third-seeded Ranabir Das of Railways in seven games. Baboor, placed in the easier bottom half, was expected to meet the top seed Roy in the men's final. Unhappy with his display, Baboor blamed the playing conditions mainly and the new rule partially for his defeat. Former National champion Arup Basak returned to competition after serving a six-month ban for indiscipline but with disastrous effect. He went out in the pre-quarterfinal stage to second seed Saha.

The first women's seed to bow out was Mallika Parekh of Railways, that too very early in the competition. Top seed N. R. Indu of PSCB, fifth seed Anindita Chakraborty of Railways and seventh seed Mantu Ghosh of PSCB all bowed to younger generation players from Bengal, Nandita and Moushumi Paul and Sushmita Roy of Railways. National champion and seed No. 2 Poulami Ghatak was sent packing by T. Pradeepa of Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals where eighth seed Kasturi also fell. Fourth seed Mouma was defeated in the semifinals as the meet proved to be a killing field of seeds.

Arunava Ganguly, representing PSCB Academy, recovered remarkably against unseeded Subhadip Das of Bengal to lift the boys' title. He won 11-6, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5. Top seed Sushmita Roy of Railways took the girls' crown with a fine victory over second seed from Bengal, Moushumi Paul. Sushmita, down 0-3 and staring at certain defeat, powered to a thrilling 4-3 victory. The Railways girl won 9-11, 7-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9, 15-13. Fourth seed Soumyajit Sarkar of Bengal won the sub-junior boys' crown beating statemate Souma Nandy in the final. He won 11-6, 11-4, 11-3, 11-8 while second seed Pallavi Kundu of Bengal took the sub-junior girls' title with a 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 verdict against unseeded Neha Agarwal of Delhi.

The Bengal Table Tennis Association (BTTA) did a good job of conducting the Servo Indian Oil sponsored tournament. Yet, the two joint chief referees had a lot to complain as far as technical conduct of the meet.

Men's singles: Final: (1) Soumyadeep Roy (PSCB) bt (2) Subhajit Saha (PSCB) 11-9, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5. Semifinals: Roy bt (4) Shibaji Dutta (PSCB) 12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 17-15, 11-7, 11-2; Saha bt (3) Ranabir Das (Rly) 11-7, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6. Quarterfinals: Roy bt (8) Arjun Dutta (PSCB) 11-4, 11-1, 12-10,5-11, 11-8; Dutta bt A. Sarath Kamal (TN) 17-15, 14-12, 19-17, 10-12, 11-8, 14-12, 11-9; Das bt (6) Chetan P. Baboor (PSCB) 11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-9, 11-7; Saha bt (7) Sourav Chakraborty (Rly) 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6. Pre-quarterfinals: Roy bt Deepak Thukral (BSCB) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4; S. Dutta bt R. Rajesh (TN) 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-1, 11-4; Sarath Kamal bt Bhusan Thakur (Rly) 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9; A. Dutta bt Subham Chowdhury (Rly) 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4; Das bt K. Srivatsa Chakravarthy (TN) 12-10, 2-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5; Chakraborty bt Anirban Nandy (Rly) 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6; Baboor bt Amit Mukherjee (Ben) 11-9, 15-13, 11-8, 11-9; Saha bt Arup Basak (PSCB) 11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 11-13, 13-11, 11-8, 11-6.

Women's singles: Final: (3) M.S. Mythili (PSCB) bt Nandita Saha (Ben) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9. Semifinals: Nandita bt (4) Mouma Das (PSCB) 5-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9; Mythili bt T. Pradeepa (TN) 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-5,8-11, 13-11. Quarterfinals: Nandita bt (8) Kasturi Chakraborty (Ben) 6-11, 11-7, 6-11, 1-1, 11-7, 11-5; Mouma bt Sushmita Roy (Rly) 11-3, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7; Mythili bt Moushumi Paul (Ben) 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-7; Pradeepa bt (2) Poulami Ghatak (PSCB) 11-9, 12-14, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8. Pre-quarterfinals: Nandita bt (1) N.R. Indu (PSCB) 11-4, 14-12, 9-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4; Kasturi bt Vishakha Vijay (Bih) 12-10, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4; Sushmita bt (7) Mantu Ghosh (PSCB) 11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9; Mouma bt Avanti Sinha (Ben) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8; Moushumi bt (5) Anindita Chakraborty (Rly) 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10; Pradeepa bt Minu Basak (Ben) 11-5, 11-8, 12-10, 12-10; Poulami bt Madhumita Chowdhury (Ben) 11-1, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4; Mythili bt Sumana Bose (Ben) 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 17-19, 11-8.

Boys' singles: Final: (1) Arunava Ganguly (PSCB-A) bt Subhadip Das (Ben) 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5. Semifinals: Ganguly bt Soumyajit Sarkar (Ben) 11-9, 14-16, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9; Subhadip Das (Ben) bt (2) Niloy Basak (Ben) 11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 11-6.

Girls' singles: Final: (1) Sushmita Roy (Ben/Rly) bt (2) Moushumi Paul (Ben) 9-11, 7-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9, 15-13. Semifinals: Sushmita bt Anushree Saha (Ben) 12-10, 11-9, 13-11, 11-3; Moushumi bt (3) S. Sangeetha (TN) 11-5, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.

Sub-junior boys: Final: (4) Soumyajit Sarkar (Ben) bt Souma Nandy (Ben) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3, 11-8. Semifinals: Soumyajit bt (1) Amarnath Das (Ben) 11-3, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8; Souma bt Aniket Koparkar (Mah) 11-2, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7.

Sub-junior girls: Final: (2) Pallavi Kundu (Ben) bt Neha Agarwal (Dli) 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9. Semifinals: Neha bt Triparna Biswas (Ben) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7; Pallavi bt Sharmishta Paul (Ben) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-7.

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