Viren wins U-14 title at ISC Open
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Viren Kundnani claimed the Boys Under-14 singles title while Armaan Sattikar and Wiryawan Kiko both advanced to the Men’s singles finals of the Open Table Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Oman and sponsored by Al Tasnim Enterprises LLC.
In the final, third seed Viren Kundnani continued to show brilliant touch and over-powered Rehan Ahmed in straight games 11-6, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8.
The grand finals of the tournament will be played on Monday when George Lopez will take on Ashraf Ghali in the veterans singles final which will be followed by the men’s doubles final between the team of Wiryawan Kiko and Bassen Israfeel versus the talented schoolboys Adhyatm Sharma and Viren Kundnani.
Wiryawan Kiko and Shounak Kelkar justified their top billing in the Boys Under-17 singles when they qualified for the final. Top seed Kiko entered the final when he defeated Adhyatm Sharma 114, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 and second seed Shounak Kelkar advanced the hard way when he was stretched to the wire before edging past Mayank Mehta 11-1, 9-11, 8-11, 16-14, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4.
Sattikar, Kiko advance
Meanwhile, Armaan Sattikar and Wiryawan Kiko both advanced to the final of the men’s singles. Random seed Armaan faced anxious moments before overcoming the spirited fight put up by Adhyatm Sharma winning 15-13, 11-4, 11-6. In the final, Armaan will take on another random seed, Wiryawan Kiko.
Earlier in the semi-final matches, the talented Indonesian rallied from a game down to defeat Egyptian Mahmood Samy 7-11, 11-6, 114, 11-7, 11-7.
Manvi Saravanan has reached the finals of two events, the Girls Under-14 where she will take on Dimple Malawiya and in the Girls Under-17, she will face up to Tanishqa Mishra. Filipina Austine Althealey will take on Surabhi Salian in the women’s final.
In other semi-finals, Rehan who had earlier stunned the top seed ousted Vedant Bahirat 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 16-14, 11-1 while Viren Kundnani who has put in a string of brilliant displays including victory over the men’s top seed, defeated Adhyatm Sharma 15-13, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10.