Parth Magar of Mumbai City District managed to overcome the spirited challenge from Pune’s Shouren Soman by recording a deserving 9-11, 15-13, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6 victory in the cadet boys singles final of the Dr Ramesh Prabhoo Memorial 82nd Maharashtra State Table Tennis tournament, organized by The Suburban District Table Tennis Association and played at the Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul, Vile Parle, Mumbai on Sunday.
The Mumbai lad Parth started shakily and lost the opening before he snatched a tight second game over extra points. This win seemed to help him to gain in confidence as he went on to grab the next two games to seize a 3-1 lead. But, the bespectacled Shouren, not prepared to give up easily, fought back splendidly to win the fifth.
The Pune youngster Shouren trailed 0-4 and 2-7, but recovered to level at 8-all before going on to win the next three points to claim the game and close the match scores to 2-3. The sixth game was another close affair before Parth managed to win, finishing it off with a whipping forehand cross drive to close out the contest.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Parth got the better of another Pune paddler Ishan Khandekar by a 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9 victory, while Shouren bounced back after the losing the first game to prevail over Thane’s Dhruv Vasaikar in five games, winning at 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6.
In the third-fourth place play-off match, Pune’s Ishan Khandekar downed Dhruv Vasaikar of Thane 12-10, 11-7, 11-9.
RESULTS
Cadet boys singles (Quarter-finals): Ishan Khandekar (PNA) bt Kaustubh Girgaonkar (NDD) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8; Parth Magar (Mumbai City) bt Ramanuj Jadhav (PNA) 11-7, 11-8, 11-8; Dhruv Vasaikar (THN) bt Mayuresh Sawant (THN) 11-8, 11-3, 11-9; Shouren Soman (PNA) bt Pratiyush Bauva (THN) 9-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6.
Semi-finals: Parth Magar (Mumbai City) bt Ishan Khandekar (PNA) 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9; Shouren Soman (PNA) bt Dhruv Vasaikar (THN) 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6.
Final: Parth Magar (Mumbai City) bt Shouren Soman (PNA) 9-11, 15-13, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6.
Third-Fourth place: Ishan Khandekar (PNA) bt Dhruv Vasaikar (THN) 12-10, 11-7, 11-9.
