NAGPUR: A day after she was forced to settle for bronze medal in U-15 girls’ singles, Jennifer Varghese came out all guns blazing in a higher-age-category event of the Ramesh Yashwant Prabhoo Memorial First Maharashtra State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament at the Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul, Vile Parle, Mumbai on Sunday.
The 13-year-old city paddler brought home a silver medal in the U-19 singles event of the ranking tournament being played under the auspices of Maharashtra State Table Tennis Association (MSTTA).
Jennifer also played in the U-17 group but went down in the quarterfinal stage. Playing matches in various categories in a single day took its toll on young Jennifer as she was left without gas, to lose the U-19 summit clash.
Starting as eighth seed in the U-19 group, Jennifer rallied splendidly to surprise fourth ranked Vidhi Shah of Thane in a thrill-a-minute semifinal 4-3. Jennifer won the exciting contest 10-12, 11-4, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 to set up the title clash with second seed Sayali Wani of Nashik who defeated Pune’s third seeded Pritha Vartikar 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9 in the other semifinal.
The experienced Nashik paddler continued from where she left off and defeated Jennifer in straight but lengthy games 11-1, 11-8, 15-13, 12-10 to lift the U-19 gold. Earlier in the quarterfinal, Jennifer outclassed Thane’s Mukta Dalvi 11-6, 2-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6.
In the U-17 girls’ singles, Jennifer was seeded ninth and up against U-19 champion and U-17 top seed Sayali from Nashik in the quarterfinals. The city girl fought well but went down fighting in an exciting contest 3-4 to marginally miss out on yet another state medal. Sayali won the last eight contest 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 9-11, 11-3, 11-1.
RESULTS
Girls U-19
2-Sayali Wani (NSK) beat 8-Jennifer Varghese (NGP) 11-1, 11-8, 15-13, 12-10.
Semifinals: 8-Jennifer Varghese (NGP) beat 4-Vidhi Shah (TSTTA) 10-12, 11-4, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8; 2-Sayali Wani (NSK) beat 3-Pritha Vartikar (PNA) 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9.
Quarterfinals: 8-Jennifer Varghese (NGP) beat Mukta Dalvi (TSTTA) 11-6, 2-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6; 4-Vidhi Shah (TSTTA) beat 5-Ananya Chande (TSTTA) 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7; 3-Pritha Vartikar (PNA) beat 6-Sampada Bhiwandkar (TSTTA) 11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 15-13, 11-6; 2-Sayali Wani (NSK) beat 7-Shravani Sawant (THN) 4-11, 8-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9.
Girls U-17
1-Sayali Wani (NSK) beat 9-Jennifer Verghese (NGP) 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 9-11, 11-3, 11-1; 4-Shravani Sawant (THN) beat 5-Radhika Sakpal (PNA) 11-3, 16-14, 11-3, 11-7; 11-Shubha Bhat (THN) beat 3-Pritha Vartikar (PNA) 11-8, 12-10, 14-12, 3-11, 2-11, 4-11, 13-11; 2-Taneesha Kotecha (NSK) beat Hardee Patel (TSTTA) 12-10, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4.
