Harmeet Desai and Sutirtha lose as Sharath Kamal struggles

Harmeet, seeded fifth, lost to Shreyal Telang of Karnataka 11-3, 11-9, 10-12, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7 while Sutirtha, the top seed, went down fighting to her sparring partner Priyadarshini Das of West Bengal 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8 in the women’s category.

It was an engrossing match between Priyadarshini and Sutirtha as both played an attacking game giving the sparse crowd some exciting moments.

Harmeet Desai and Sutirtha Mukherjee turned out to be the biggest casualties in the round of 32 of the 11Sports-West Zone National-ranking table tennis tournament at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Sunday. 

Harmeet, seeded fifth, lost to Shreyal Telang of Karnataka 11-3, 11-9, 10-12, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7 while Sutirtha, the top seed, went down fighting to her sparring partner Priyadarshini Das of West Bengal 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8 in the women’s category.

It was an engrossing match between Priyadarshini and Sutirtha as both played an attacking game giving the sparse crowd some exciting moments. 

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In fact, Priyadarshini and Sutirtha train together at Somyadeep TT Centre in Kolkata for the past two years, and both knew each other’s game quite well.

After the win, the 20-year-old pumped her fist in joy for this was her first win over a much-higher ranked player this season.

“My strategy to keep the ball in play somehow and go for the kill when it mattered. I know Sutirtha is good in rallies. I attacked better today,” said Priyadarshini.

In the last match of the day, India’s top-ranked paddler Sharath Kamal, seeded 13th here, had to struggle to eke out an 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9 win over the 21-year-old Sanish Ambekar of Maharashtra. 

The results (round of 32): Men: Amalraj (PSPB) bt Kiranjoy Pushilal (WB) 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9; Shreyal Telang (Kar) bt Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 11-3, 11-9, 1012, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7; Sourav Saha (Har) bt Anirban Nandi (RSPB) 6-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9; Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) bt Rakshit Bargidad (CB) 11-3, 14-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8; Sanil Shetty (PSPB) bt Chinmaya Somaiya (Mah-B) 11-2, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9; Sudanshu Grover (PSPB) bt Abhimanyu Mitra (IA&AD) 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8.  Women: Krittwika Sinha Roy (WB) bt Nikhat Banu (RBI) 11-8, 6-11, 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5; Reeth Rishya (PSPB) bt S. Yashini (TN) 7-11, 11-9,  11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10; Surbhi Patwari (WB) bt Harsha Vardhini (RBI) 11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7; Priyadarshini Das (RBI) bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (Har) 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8; Anindita Chakraborty (RSPB) bt Ankita Das (PSPB) 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 3-11, 12-10; Senhora D’Souza (DB) bt Prapti Sen (WB) 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8.