West Zone National-Ranking Tournament: Sutirtha survives first-round scare

Qualifier Mamata Prabhu tests the top seed but falters in the end; Manika Batra eases into the second round.

Sutirtha Mukherjee scraped through to the second round in seven games. Photo: Jignesh Mistry

Qualifier Mamata Prabhu of Dena Bank had a great opportunity to script one of the biggest upsets in a women’s first-round match of the 11Sports-West Zone National-ranking table tennis tournament here on Sunday.

Playing against the top-seeded Sutirtha Mukherjee of Haryana, the 35-year-old from Mumbai failed to convert a match point in the sixth game and lost the contest 13-11, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8.

It was Mamata’s match to lose. Leading by three games to two, she had a match point at 10-9 in the sixth game, but dumped a forehand into the net. From there on, the top seed, who has already won two zonal titles so far, went on the offensive, winning the next three points. Mamata couldn’t capitalise on the lead that she had — 3-0, 5-3 — in the seventh and deciding game.

Batra wins

Earlier, Manika Batra, the second seed from PSPB, had it easy against Vanshika Bhargava (Delhi), winning in four straight games 11-9, 11-6, 11-4, 12-10 to advance to the second round.

Eyes on the ball: Manika Batra en route to her commanding win in the first round. Photo: Jignesh Mistry

Kaushani Nath, who had a dream run in the previous ranking event in Guwahati, by reaching the semifinals, went down to Harsha Vardhini of RBI in six games, 11-8, 11-6, 12-14, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8 in the women’s first round.

There were no major surprises in the men’s section as top seed A. Amalraj, second seed Sudanshu Grover, Sanil Shetty, Arjun Ghosh, Harmeet Desai, Manush Shah, Sushmit Sriram, Siddhesh Pande and Sharath Kamal cruised to the third round.

• Women (First round)
• Sutirtha Mukherjee (Har) bt Mamata Prabhu (Dena Bank) 13-11, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8;
• Selena Deepthi (AAI) bt Sushmita Bidri (Kar) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9;
• Aanchal Malhotra (Del) bt Seraha Jacob (TN) 11-3, 11-5, 12-10, 14-16, 4-11, 11-6;
• Nikhat Banu (RBI) bt Mrunmayee Mhatre (LIC) 11-8, 14-12, 11-8, 11-8;
• Sagarika Mukherjee (RSPB) bt Payal Hansapuri (Chg) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5;
• Divya Deshpande (PSPB) bt Munmun Kundu (AAI) 5-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4;
• Amrutha Pushpak (RBI) bt Manushree Patil (Har-B) 11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7;
• Pooja Sahasrabuddhe (PSPB) bt Sathya Shanmathi (TN) 11-5, 11-2, 11-8, 11-7;
• Harsha Vardhini (RBI) bt Kaushani Nath (AAI) 11-8, 11-6, 12-14, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8;
• Oishwaryaa Deb (Har) bt N. Vidya (CRSB) 11-3, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8;
• Ahyika Mukherjee (RBI) bt K. Shamini (PSPB) 11-5, 10-12, 11-4, 11-8, 12-14, 11-6;
• S. Yashini (TN) bt Kausha Bhairapure (Guj) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5;
• Manika Batra (PSPB) bt Vanshika Bhargava (Del) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4, 12-10.