Avni clinches U-13 table tennis title

Haryana’s Avni Dua clinched the girls’ singles U-13 youth singles title by defeating West Bengal’s Titash Chatterjee 3-1 in the fourth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships.

After conceding the opening game easily, the youngster edge out a nail-biting second and surviving a tense deuce in the third. With momentum firmly on her side, she sealed the match in style with a 6-11 11-9 13-11 11-2 verdict.

The U-15 Youth Nationals’ pre-quarterfinals served up high-intensity table tennis, marked by comebacks, narrow finishes, and standout performances. Tamil Nadu JN Sanjey Arwindh kicked things off with a solid 11-7 6-11 11-3 11-9 win over Bengal’s Aditya Das. AB Tharoon followed with a gripping five-game 5-11 11-9 4-11 11-6 11-4 victory over fellow Bengal paddler Himon Mondal. Bengal’s Rudranil Jana edged past Maharashtra’s Prateek Tulsani 11-8 15-13 13-11, while Tamil Nadu’s K Akshay Bhushan survived Goa’s Chandan Caro Sinai in another thriller. —TNS