Trupti and Ravinder clinch title

Jamshedpur, Dec 22 (UNI) Defending champions and top seed Trupti Murgunde of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) and Ravinder Singh of Uttar Pradesh annexed the 3rd J R D Tata All India Senior Prize money Badminton title in the women's and men's singles finals respectively at the Mohan Ahuja Indoor stadium here today.

In the women's final, Trupti toiled hard to defeat unseeded Aparna Balan of Kerala in a keenly-fought match (19-21,21-19,21-18) and managed to retain the title.

While ''giant killer'' Ravinder edged past seventh seed Thomas Kurien of Kerala 25-23,19-21,21-15 to lift the men's title.

The women's final, lasting for 70 minutes, witnessed a neck and neck contest as Balan sprang a surprise by notching up the first set (21-19) but using her vast experience Trupti made a comeback to win the second set (21-19).

Despite taking lead in most of the games the Kerala shuttler faltered at the last moment and conceded the second set.

In the third and final set also she repeated the same script as Balan could not hold the tempo despite playing better than her senior partner and Trupti had the last laugh.

In the men's singles final title aspirant Kurien began on promising note but Ravider played some powerful forehand shots to win the set in a tough contest (25-21).

Kurien fought back to win the second set (21-19) but lost his stamina in the third and decisive set as the UP shuttler won easily (21-15) in the one-sided set and took total 59-minute to win the title for the first time.

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