On a day of big upsets, Maharashtra lads Purav Rambhia and Agastya Bansal scored stunning wins against the top two seeds Darshil Parasrampuria of Tamil Nadu and Ishaan Dabke of Maharashtra respectively in boys’ under-17 semi-finals of the Bombay Gymkhana 47th Maharashtra State Open All India Squash Tournament 2024, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Parfums and co-sponsored by Indian Oil, and played at the Gymkhana’s courts, on Tuesday.
A student of Jamnabai Narsee School, Juhu, Purav seeded 5th-8th, played brilliantly to quash the title hopes of the top-seeded Darshil by clinching a clinical 11-9, 11-8, and 11-7 win. On the adjacent court, the unseeded, but fitter Agastya, who studies at the Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, exhibited tremendous fighting spirit and stamina as he came back from two games down to dash the aspirations of second-seeded Ishaan by snatching a satisfying 5-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-7, and 11-9 victory.
Meanwhile, Siddhant Rewari of Maharashtra and Kushal Vir Singh of Chandigarh, the top two seeds in the boys’ under-19 competition also crashed out in the penultimate round. The number one seed and fancied Siddhant, a Bombay Gymkhana member, paid dearly for making many unforced errors and went down fighting to Maharashtra’s 5-8th seed Arjun Somani in five engrossing games. Somani, who was steadier, managed to secure a grueling 6-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-7, and 11-8 win.
In contrast, the Chandigarh challenger Kushal succumbed to a straight game defeat at the hands of Maharashtra’s 3-4th Aditya Chandani who charged to a 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 win with a degree of comfort.
Maharashtra girl unseeded Akanksha Gupta also produced an impressive performance to cause another major upset as she knocked out the top seed Reiva Nimbalkar also from Maharashtra winning at 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, and 11-8.
In the final Akanksha will meet Rajasthan’s 3-4th seed Harshini Pandey who easily defeated Sahaya Adlin Queen of Tamil Nadu 11-3, 11-7, and 11-7.
2-Shreyansh Jha (MH) bt Pradeepsingh Rathore (KA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8; 3/4-Aryaman Singh (KA) bt 1-Adithya K. (TN) 11-7, 12-14, 11-7, 14-12.
Women’s top seed Anjali Semwal was also shown the exit door by unseeded Aishwarya Khubchandani who won a closely fought all-Maharashtra contest in a five game thriller 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-1. However, second seed Sunita Patel of Maharashtra progressed to the summit round defeating Uttar Pradesh’s Sachika Ingale 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, and 11-6.
Semi-final results - Girls' U-11: 1-Isha Shelke (MH) bt 3/4-Arunima Chaubey (KA) 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4; 2-Riyaa Dalal (MH) bt Jerusha Jebindran (TN) 11-3, 11-2, 11-3.
Boys’ U-11: 1-Vihaan Chandhok (DL) bt Aritra Debnath (KA) 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3; 2-Tilakvir Kapoor (MH) bt 3/4-Krishiv Mittal (MH) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9.
Girls' U-13: 1-Diva Parasrampuria (TN) bt Nehmat Nayar (CH) 11-4, 11-3, 11-7; 3/4-Raayisha Naik (MH) bt 2-Aashi Shah (MH) 11-6, 14-12, 11-6.
Boys' U-13: 1-Fareed Andrabi (RJ) bt Advit Taneja (JH) 11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8; 3/4-Prabhav Bajoria (MH) bt 2-Ruan Tadanki (HR) 8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5
Girls' U-15: 1-Aarika Mishra (MH) bt 3/4-Bria Sharma (JH) 11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 11-6; 2-Aadya Budhia (JH) bt 3/4-Drishti Pawar (MH) 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.
Boys’ U-15: 2-Shreyansh Jha (MH) bt Pradeepsingh Rathore (KA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8; 3/4-Aryaman Singh (KA) bt 1-Adithya K. (TN) 11-7, 12-14, 11-7, 14-12.
Girls' U-17: 1-Rudra Singh bt 3/4-Vyomika Khandelwal (TN) 11-2, 8-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-1; 2-Karina Phipps (MH) bt Aelina Shah (MH) 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4.
Boys’ U-17: Purav Rambhia (MH) bt 1-Darshil Parasrampuria (TN) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7; Agastya Bansal (MH) bt 2-Ishaan Dabke (MH) 5-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9.
Girls' U-19: Akanksha Gupta (MH) bt 1-Reiva Nimbalkar 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8; 3/4-Harshini Pandey (RJ) bt Sahaya Adlin Queen (TN) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7.
Boys’ U-19: Arjun Somani (MH) bt 1-Siddhant Rewari (MH) 6-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8; 3/4-Aditya Chandani (MH) bt 2-Kushal Vir Singh (CH) 11-2, 11-8, 11-4.
Women: Aishwarya Khubchandani (MH) bt 1-Anjali Semwal (MH) 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-1; 2-Sunita Patel (MH) bt Sachika Ingale (UP) 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6.
Men: 1-Veer Chotrani (MH) bt 3/4-Om Semwal (MH) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9; 3/4-Mahesh Mangaonkar bt 2-Rahul Baitha 11-7, 11-3, 11-7.
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