Akshaya gets the better of Aasya
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s S Akshaya Sri got the better of second-seeded Aasya Patel (Madhya Pradesh) 3-2 in the Girls Under-15 quarter-finals of the Sub-junior/Junior National Squash Championship here on Sunday.
At the Indian Squash Academy (ISA), the local lass won by a scoreline of 11-13, 6-11, 12-10, 11-1, 11-5. Akshaya was leading 10-3 in the first game, but failed to make use of seven game points. That cost her dear as she lost the opening game 11-13. The TN girl was second best in the following game as well, going down 6-11.
She upped her play thereafter, clinching the final three games to seal a semi-final spot. In the Girls Under-19 category, Chennai lass Radhika Seelan upset second seed Yoshna Singh (Maharashtra) in four games to enter the last four stage. Radhika emerged victorious 3-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-4.
In the Girls Under-17 side of things, Abhisheka Shannon, seeded 5/8, defeated ¾ seed Tanishka Jain in straight games (11-9, 25-23, 11-6). The second game read 25-23, a National record in the Under-17 category. Most of the top-seeded players in the boys section made their way through into the semi-final phase, with just a couple suffering shock losses.
Results
(selected) Quarter-finals: Boys: Under-15: Yuvraj Wadhwani (5/8), Maharashtra, beat Vivaan Shah (3/4), Maharashtra, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8; Shaurya Bawa (5/8), Delhi, beat Rutva Samant (2), Maharashtra, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8.
Girls: Under-15: S Akshaya Sri (5/8), Tamil Nadu, beat Aasya Patel (2), Madhya Pradesh, 11-13, 6-11, 12-10, 11-1, 11-5;
Under-17: Abhisheka Shannon (5/8), Tamil Nadu, beat Tanishka Jain (3/4), Maharashtra, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8; Under-19: Rathika Suthanthira Seelan (5/8), Tamil Nadu, beat Yoshna Singh (2), Maharashtra, 3-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-4.