PSPB, West Bengal face-off in TT team finals

KOLKATA - Holders Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) and hosts West Bengal made their way into the finals in both the mens and womens sections of the 72nd senior national and interstate table tennis championship here Wednesday.

It was a good day for the organisers, as it was the first time after 1994 that both the mens and womens team from Bengal qualified for the title round.

In mens semifinal contests, the powerful PSPB crushed Tamil Nadu 3-0 while West Bengal pipped Maharashtra A 3-2 at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

The womens semifinal outings saw PSPB prevailing over North Bengal 3-1 while West Bengal emerged triumphant 3-2 despite a spirited challenge from Maharashtra As Mamta Prabhu.

The PSPB-Tamil Nadu mens fight saw Soumyadeep Roy being stretched to a five-setter by Nitin Thiruvengadam of the southern state. However, Roy won 10-12, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6.

The redoubtable Achanta Sharath Kamal made it 2-0 by making short work of R.Abishek in straight sets 11-3, 11-6, 11-2.

A.Amal Raj then sealed the tie for the petroleum men as he overcame a second set fightback from R.S .Raja to win 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5.

In the second semi final battle, Sanil Shetty of Maharastra A put the visitors ahead by decimating Saurav Saha 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.

However, Anirban Nandi drew parity humbling Aniket Koparkar in straight games 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 before West Bengal snatched the lead with Souvik Kar edging out Aman Baglu in a well contested five setter 11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9.

Nandi then went down to Shetty in straight games 2-11, 7-11, 9-11 as the two sides stood at 2-2 and the match rolled into the decider.

Saha saved the day for the hosts as came back after dropping the first set to finish on the right side of a 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 13-11 scoreline.

In womens section, PSPB started their semi final on the wrong note as North Bengals Ankita Das crushed Mouma Das in four games 11-6, 12-10, 7-11, 11-2.

Madhurika Patkar then brought PSPB back into the contest defeating Nandita Saha 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8. Senior PSPB campaigner K Shamini then shut out Sukanya Bose of North

Bengal 11-4, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, before Madhurika Patkar romped to an easy 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 victory over Ankita Das to lead her side to the final.

The other last four fixture, Mamta Prabhu gave Maharashtra A a wonderful start getting the better of West Bengals Kritika Sinha in a well-fought out five setter 11-2, 10-12, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9.

Shruti Talnikar then lost to Bengals Anindita Chakraborty 18-16, 10-12, 8-11 and 7-11.

Vedika Garg of Maharastra A then fell to Meenu Basak of West Bengal after a thrilling struggle 10-12, 14-12, 4-11, 11-7, 9-11. Prabhu, however, rekindled the western states hopes pipping Chakraborty 12-10, 10-12, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8.

But cheered on by a small crowd, Kritika outclassed Talnikar in three straight games 11-7, 12-10, 13-11 to propel West Bengal to the final.