India: The singles competitions of the 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships got off to an exciting start at the Abhay Prashal Stadium, with the first two rounds of group stage matches producing a mix of dominant wins and thrilling contests. Since the 16 best-placed players in each category are already guaranteed direct entry into the main draw, the focus in the opening phase was clearly on those fighting for qualification.
While the men’s singles saw several players advance with comfortable consecutive wins, the second round showed the true competitive edge of the field. One of the most exciting games came in Group 5, where Jami Imlinguba defeated Umar Khan in a thrilling five-game clash to win 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9), a result that reflected the razor-thin margins at the time.
Equally impressive was Rahane Archit’s comeback win in Group 33, where he lost the opening game before regrouping and winning 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9). In Group 29, Abheek Kashyap showed control at crucial moments to secure a 3-1 win (11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8). At the same time, Rahul Malik secured victory in back-to-back games in Group 40, although each game was closely contested, underlining the pressure of the qualifiers.
A major highlight came in Group 84, where Arnav Aggarwal won a dramatic five-game clash 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9), one of several games that went down to the wire. In Group 106 too, Thakur Shreyansh had to rely on his composure in the decider to secure a 3-2 win after mixed results.
The women’s singles section reflected that intensity, with several second-round clashes resulting in close final results. In Group 2, Chandigarh’s Vani Sharma held her nerve in a see-saw contest to win 3-2 (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8) to emerge from one of the closest games of the round.
In Group 48, Ananya Kumari bounced back from the loss in the first game to win 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5), showing strong adaptability. Another exciting encounter took place in Group 69 where Pranitha Garlapati defeated Shreya Limaye 3-2 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7) and maintained her composure in a see-sawing contest.
There was also some tension in Group 78: Krishvi Arora secured a 3-2 win (11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8). However, in Group 63, Chayasree Kakoti and Trisha Paul put up a tough fight before the eventual winner emerged victorious in four hard-fought games.
Despite the tough competition among the qualifiers, the presence of the top seeds, including defending champion Diya Chitale, who will enter the fray after the main draw tomorrow, will provide added excitement as the tournament progresses.
With the group stage setting a high bar, the focus now shifts to the knockout stages of the men’s singles, where the qualifiers challenge the country’s best. According to the first rounds, the fight for the singles titles promises to be intense, unpredictable and of the highest quality.
