Bhat claims double crown

Pune, Aug 31 (UNI) Promising paddler Sruja Bhat, the second seed, stopped the winning streak of unseeded Devika Bhide in straight games 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 and lifted the Under-14 sub-junior girls singles title today while top seed Raunak Apte affirmed his top billing getting the better of second seeded Aniket Gulawani 11-2, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3 and bagged the sub-junior boys singles title in the Le Meridien Trophy prize money district ranking table tennis championship here today.

Bhat had yesterday bagged the Under-12 cadet girls singles title at the expense of Fauzia Meheralli 11-3, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 and thus completed a profitable double in the tournament.

Earlier, Raunak Apte, seeded seventh in the Under-14 junior boys, created a flutter accounting for second seed Kunal Tilekar in a tight tie at 9-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6 and made the last four stage.

Joining Apte in the semis are sixth seeded Arjun Gokhale and unseeded Aseem Mane. Arjun showed the exit door to third seed Amish Karamchhandani also in a fully stretched struggle at 9-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 while Mane disposed of fifth seed Aniket Gulawani 11-2, 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7. Top seed Saurabh Athavale however kept himself on the course posting a comfortable win over unseeded Amol Soman 11-5, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8. Apte thus lined himself for a double in the meet.

Unseeded Nikita Phadke, in a determined performance, shocked third seed Prachi Ghumatkar in straight games 11-7, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 and set up a title clash against top seeded Sayali Deshpande in the Under-14 junior girls singles. In the other semi-finals, Sayali put paid to the aspirations of fourth seed Fauzia Meheralli 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5. The elder sibling Yamini Meheralli however made the second round of the women's single getting the better of Devika Bhide 11-8, 11-6, 11-9.

Following are the results : Sub Junior Boys Singles Finals: Raunak Apte beat Aniket Gulawani 11-2, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3.

Sub Junior Girls Singles Finals: Sruja Bhat beat Devika Bhide 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8.

Junior Girls (Under-14) Singles Semi-finals: Sayali Dehpande beat Fauzia Meheralli 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5; Nikita Phadke beat Prachi Ghumatkar 11-7, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4.

Junior Boys Singles (Under-14) Quarters: Saurabh Athavale beat Amol Soman 11-5, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8; Aseem Mane beat Aniket Gulawani 11-2, 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7; Raunak Apte beat Kunal Tilekar 9-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6; Arjun Gokhale beat Amish Karamchandani 9-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7.

Women's Singles (First Round): Priyanka Joshi beat Fauzia Meheralli 11-8, 11-7, 11-7; Yamini Meheralli beat Devika Bhide 11-8, 11-6, 11-9; Sayali Deshpande beat Nikita Phadke 13-11, 11-8, 11-6.

Youth Boys Singles (Under-20, Second Round): Kaushal Kulkarni beat Shardul Kher 11-6, 11-8, 11-9; Aniket Gulawani beat Rohit Kulkarni 12-10, 12-10, 11-4; Aseem Mane beat Akshay Deshpande 11-8, 11-5, 11-6; Raunak Apte beat Manoj Gadgil 11-3, 11-6, 12-10; Saurabh Athavale beat Pushkaraj Shrotriya 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.

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