Ranchi, January 27: A. Sharath Kamal, when in a killing mood, doesn’t spare even the best. Leading Team PSPB from the front, the world No. 51 exhibited fine table tennis to shut out Haryana 3-1 to hoist the glittering trophy in the 79th edition of the 11Even Sports Senior Nationals at the Mega Sports Complex at Khelgaon here today.

This was the 20th title triumph for the institution. Incidentally, it was Haryana’s second consecutive runners-up finish. Earlier PSPB women, made a great escape to regain the crown when they overcame first-timer RBI 3-2 in a thriller. And the 15th title-victory was made possible by Manika Batra.

Captain Sharath had to share the major burden at 36. With G. Sathiyan playing the third rubber and A. Amalraj benched, it was a huge risk the captain took.  If Sharath had lost one of his matches and if matters had gone to decider, anything could have been possible. But Sharath doesn’t believe in ifs and buts and knew what he was doing. Taking no time, he dismissed Jubin Kumar for 1-0 lead. After Harmeet lost to Somyajit Ghosh, the pressure was back on PSPB but Sathiyan proved too good for Sourav Saha. With everything hinging on Sharath, he played with full responsibility and a superb game at that against Soumyajit to close all options.

Sharath’s topspin serves and whipping backhands coupled with great anticipation were too much for Soumyajit. He, however, did manage to take a game off Sharath. But in the fourth game, despite trailing 0-3, PSPB’s ace player equalled and then unleashed some brilliant strokes which brooked little challenge from the Haryana captain. When Sharath clinched the last point, people gave him a standing ovation in real admiration.

Close call for women

Manika Batra was the saviour for PSPB. But for her PSPB would have ended up without the team trophy for the second successive year. Manika could afford to toy with Amrutha Pushpak in the opening rubber despite losing her first game to give PSPB the lead. But Ayhika Mukherjee outplayed Mouma Das in straight games. With scores level it was for reigning national champion Madhurika Patkar help her team go up, but it was Sreeja Akula who surprised with her fluent game to put RBI ahead.

With the entire team looking up to Manika to give them a breather, the lanky girl played brilliantly, particularly in the deciding game of the fourth rubber, to restore parity. Experienced Mouma made amends in the decider and outsmarted Amrutha Pushpak, the latter’s service faults hastening the process.   

For PSPB men it was a child’s play in the semifinals against Gujarat. The only interesting point was Sathiyan losing his first game to Devesh Karia before pulling himself up and then Sharath Kamal doing the classical act of going 2-1 up against Ishaan Hingorani after being down 3-10 in the third game.

The world No. 51 paddler picked nine points on the trot, but young Ishaan was unable to pick the solitary point he needed to go 2-1 up. After that Sharath completed the formality as Anthony Amalraj had given PSPB the 2-0 lead, beating Manush Shah in straight games.  

Haryana, helped by Soumyajit Ghosh’s two singles win, offset the early advantage provided by Nitin Thiruvengadam who beat Jubin Kumar 3-2. An inconsistent Jubin led 2-1 but let Nitin come back in the fourth game which gave the confidence to the Tamil Nadu man who wrapped up the fifth, too.

Ghosh was rusty against a fighting Ananth Devarajan who led 2-1. But the experienced Harayna paddler didn’t give his opponent any further chance to level score. Sourav Saha disposed of Nikhil Suresh in straight games and soon after Ghosh did the same thing to Nitin in their reverse singles.

In women’s team semifinals, PSPB warded off an early threat by Suthirta Mukherjee after she beat Madhurika Patkar to level score. But Manika, who won her first singles against Mousumi Paul, also took the revenge to defeat Suthirtha in straight games. In between Pooja Sahasrabudhe had consolidated PSPB’s position with her win over Anindita Chakraborty, who has turned out for West Bengal.

In the other match, RBI easily downed Tamil Nadu 3-0 when Amrutha Pushpak gave a fine start after her 3-0 win over Reeth Rishya. Ahyhika Mukherjee repeated the verdict against Yashini Sivashankar while Sreeja Akula struggled before overcoming Selena 3-2.

RESULTS: (Team):

Men: Final: PSPB bt Haryana 3-1 (A. Sharath Kamal bt Jubin Kumar 11-7, 11-8, 12-10, Harmeet Desai lost to Soumyajit Ghosh 14-16, 9-11, 11-7, 4-11, G. Sathiyan bt Sourav Saha 11-2, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, A. Sharath Kamal bt Soumyajit Ghosh 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4).

Semifinals: PSPB bt Gujarat 3-0 (G. Sathiyan bt Devesh Karia 5-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5, A. Amalraj bt Manush Shah 11-8, 11-4, 11-7, A. Sharath Kamal bt Ishaan Hingorani 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9); Haryana bt Tamil Nadu 3-1 (Jubin Kumar lost to Nitin Thiruvengadam 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 3-11, 9-11, Soumyajit Ghosh bt Ananth Devarajan 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, Sourav Saha bt Nikhil Suresh 14-12, 11-5, 11-6, Soumyajit Ghosh bt Nitin Thiruvengadam 11-5, 11-7, 11-7).

Quarterfinals: PSPB bt Maharashtra 3-0, Gujarat bt RSPB 3-0, Tamil Nadu bt West Bengal 3-0, Haryana bt Delhi 3-1.

Women: Final: PSPB bt RBI 3-2 (Manika Batra bt Amrutha Pushpak 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5, Mouma Das lost to Ayhika Mukherjee 6-11, 10-12, 7-11, Madhurika Patkar lost to Sreeja Akula 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 7-11, Manika Batra bt Ayhika Mukherjee 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5, Mouma Das bt Amrutha Pushpak 11-7, 11-6, 1-5).

Semifinals: PSPB bt West Bengal 3-1 (Manika Batra bt Mousumi Paul 11-8, 12-10, 11-4, Madhurika Patkar lost to Sutirtha Mukherjee 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 7-11, Pooja Sahasrabudhe bt Anindita Chakraborty 11-8, 11-7, 12-10, Manika Batra bt Sutirtha Mukherjee 13-11, 11-8, 11-8); RBI bt Tamil Nadu 3-0 (Amrutha Pushpak bt Reeth Rishya 11-7, 13-11, 11-7, Ayhika Mukherjee bt Yashini Sivashankar 11-6, 11-8, 12-10, Sreeja Akula bt Selenadeepthi Selvakumar 18-16, 101-12, 11-7, 13-11).

Quarterfinals: West Bengal bt North Bengal 3-1, PSPB bt Madhya Pradesh 3-1, RBI bt Haryana 3-0, Tamil Nadu bt Kerala 3-1.