The singles events at the87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships got off to an engaging start at the Abhay Prashal Stadium, with the first two rounds of group-stage matches producing a blend of dominant wins and gripping contests. With the top16-ranked players in each section already assured of direct entry into the main draw, the spotlight in the opening phase has been firmly on those fighting to qualify.
In the men’s singles,while several players advanced with comfortable straight-game victories, thesecond round brought out the true competitive edge of the field. One of themost exciting matches unfolded in Group 5, where Jami Imlinguba overcame UmarKhan in a tense five-game duel, winning 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9), aresult that reflected the razor-thin margins at this stage.
Equally impressive was Rahane Archit’s comeback win in Group 33, where he dropped the opening game before regrouping to win 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9). In Group 29, Abheek Kashyap displayed control in key moments to register a 3-1 victory (11-9, 11-7,8-11, 11-8). At the same time, Rahul Malik in Group 40 sealed his match in straight games, though each game was closely contested, underlining the pressure of qualification matches.
A major highlight came inGroup 84, where Arnav Aggarwal edged a dramatic five-game encounter 3-2 (11-7,9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9), one of several matches that went down to the wire. Similarly, in Group 106, Thakur Shreyansh had to rely on his composure in the decider to secure a 3-2 win after alternating the game results.
The women’s singles section mirrored this intensity, with multiple second-round clashes producing tight finishes. In Group 2, Vani Sharma from Chandigarh held her nerve in a see-saw contest to win 3-2 (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8), emerging from one of the closest matches of the round.
In Group 48, Ananya Kumari recovered after losing the first game to win 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5),showing strong adaptability. Another gripping encounter came in Group 69, where Pranitha Garlapati edged past Shreya Limaye 3-2 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7), maintaining composure in a fluctuating contest.
Group 78 also produced a nail-biter, with Krishvi Arora clinching a 3-2 victory (11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 9-11,11-8). However, in Group 63, Chayasree Kakoti and Trisha Paul were locked in a tight battle before the eventual winner closed it out in four hard-fought games.
Despite fierce competition among qualifiers, the presence of top seeds, including defending champion Diya Chitale, who will enter the fray tomorrow after the main draw, adds further excitement as the tournament progresses.
With the group stagessetting a high benchmark, the focus now shifts to the knockout rounds of themen’s singles, where qualifiers will challenge the country’s best. If the earlyrounds are any indication, the battle for the singles titles promises to beintense, unpredictable, and of the highest quality.
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