M0umbai, May 28 (IANS) Unseeded Naresh Singhva of Maharashtra pulled off the biggest win of his career when he knocked out top seed Adith Achpal of Tamil Nadu in the Boys’ Under-19 pre-quarterfinals of the 6th NSCI Open National Circuit Squash championship here on Sunday.
Singhva, an Adivasi lad from Kalote, Khopoli taluka of Raigad district of Maharashtra, is ranked No. 64 in the country and trains at the Start Squash Academy in Khopoli, a free training facility under the mentorship of former India No.1 Ritwick Bhattacharya.
Singhva retrieved every ball the top seed, Achpal, India No.8, could hit at him and finally wore down the Tamil Nadu player’s resistance to win the gruelling five-game encounter 11-9, 8-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7 in the event organised by NSCI and played on their glass-backed courts.
In other upsets, unseeded Sharan Punjabi defeated Madhya Pradesh’s Adarsh Banodha (5/8) 11-3, 11-4, 11-5, while unseeded Suraj Chand of Maharashtra knocked out Vedash Kushwaha (9/16) 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 in the men’s pre-quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, in men’s and women’s singles, top seed Rahul Baitha and Janet Vidhi (3/4) of Maharashtra advanced into the quarterfinals with no-fuss wins. Baitha defeated Secundrabad’s Ajit Sharma 11-8, 11-7, 11-7, while Janet got the better of Mona Chauhan 11-7, 11-5, 11-3.
Results (Round of 16):
Men’s Singles: Rahul Baitha (1) (MH) bt Ajit Sharma (SC) 11-8, 11-7, 11-7; Shaan Dalal (MH) bt Aran Thawani (MH) 12-10, 11-5, 11-9; Sharan Punjabi (MH) bt Adarsh Banodha (5/8) (MP) 11-3, 11-4, 11-5; Veer Chotrani (MH) bt Harshit Jain (DL) 11-5, 11-4, 11-6; Vaibhav Chauhan (3/4) (SC) bt Kunal Singh (MP) 11-9, 11-4, 11-3; Jamal Sakib (SC) bt Yashwir Singh Hooda (9/16) (CH) 11-5, 11-7, 11-5; Vikas Mehra (5/8) (TN) bt Avinash Sahani (MH) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6; Suraj Chand (MH) bt Vedansh Kushwaha (9/16) (MH) 11-3, 11-5 11-7.
Women’s Singles: Janet Vidhi (3/4) (MH) bt Mona Chauhan (MH) 11-7, 11-5, 11-3; Nirupama Dubey (MH) bt Khushi Puranik (DL) 11-7, 11-2, 11-2; Anjali Semwal (5/8) (MH) bt Reiva Nimbalkar (MH) 12-10, 11-6, 11-8; Sunita Patel (MH) bt Khushi Jaspal (MH) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3; Mehak Gupta (MH) bt Mahak Talati (MP) 11-9, 12-1, 11-9; Bijali Darvada (5/8) (MH) bt Chazerina Benjamin (MP) 11-8, 11-5, 11-5; Anahat Singh (DL) bt Nanki Grewal (MH) 11-0, 11-2, 11-1.
Boys’ U-19 Singles: Naresh Shingva (MH ) bt Adith Achpal (1) (TN) 11-9, 8-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7; Tavneet Singh Mundra (9/16) (MP) bt Dhairya Shah (MH) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7; Hunarpal Kohli (5/8) (MH) bt Narayan Manohar Lachka (MH) 11-3, 11-5, 11-6; Bhagwan Das (9/16) (MH) bt Rachit Kumar Shailya (UP) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8; Adhish Kancharla (9/16) (MH) bt Vivaan Bhatia (MH) 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9; Yuvraj Wadhwani (MH) bt Prakash Aujhi (MH) 11-9, 11-4, 11-2; Krish Dembla (MH) bt Raaed Kotwal (MH) W.O.
Boys’ U-17 Singles: Aditya Chandani (1) (MH) bt Shravin Jain (TN) 11-4, 11-4, 11-3; Vedant Chheda (9/16) (MH) bt Rudra Lakhani (MH) 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3; Priyaan Thakker (5/8) (MH) bt Vedan Maheshwari (MH) 11-1, 11-3, 11-2; Ayush Verma (9/16) (MH) bt Popat Jainu Darvada (MH) 11-3, 11-5, 11-7; Arjun Somani (3/4) (MH) bt Ravi Lachka (MH) 11-6, 11-8, 11-4; Dev Sharma (MH) bt Mitansh Jain (9/16) (MH) 12-14, 13-11, 11-4, 15-13; Raj Yadav (5/8) (UP) bt Anshuman Jaising (MH) 11-4, 11-7, 15-13; Aryaveer Dewan (DL) bt Rachit Shah (MH) 7-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.
Boys’ U-15 Singles: Ishaan Dabke (MH) bt Aaditya Ghodke (9/16) (MH) 11-3, 11-9, 11-8; Aatik Yadav (5/8) (MH) bt Ramesh Datta Shingava (MH) 14-12, 11-5, 12-10,Purav Rambhia (3/4) (MH) bt Agastya Rajput (MH) 11-9, 11-3, 11-2; Siddharth Narang (MH) bt Ketan Sambare (MH) 11-0, 11-1, 11-3; Mihir Bopana (TN) bt Rohan Kejriwal (MH) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3; Kamlesh Dama Dore (5/8) (MH) bt Mithun Mahadu Darvada (MH) 11-5, 12-10, 11-8; Saharsh Shahra (MP) bt Shayon Roy (9/16) (MH) 11-4, 11-5, 11-4, Arjun Morey (MH) bt Kavanpal Kohli (9/16) (MH) 11-3, 11-6, 11-3.
–IANS
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