Indore, Mar 19 (PTI) The men’s doubles competition at the 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships witnessed a dramatic shake-up as top-seeded West Bengal crashed out, paving the way for an intriguing semifinal line-up here on Thursday.
The biggest headline of the day belonged to the Tamil Nadu duo of M.R. Balamurugan and Siddhesh Pande, who stunned the top seeds Ankur Bhattacharjee and Shankhadip Das of Bengal.
After dropping the opening game, the Tamil Nadu pair regrouped impressively, dictating rallies with sharp placement and composure to clinch the match 3-2. Their ability to hold nerve in a tense fourth game underlined their credentials as serious title contenders.
Railway Sports Promotion Board showcased its depth with two pairs advancing to the semifinals. Jeet Chandra and Anirban Ghosh battled past Wesley Do Rosario and Nikunj Attri of Haryana in a closely fought contest.
The match ebbed and flowed, but the RSPB pair held firm in crucial moments, sealing a 3-1 victory with disciplined finishing in the fourth game.
Joining them are teammates Ronit Bhanja and Preyesh Raj Suresh, who delivered one of the most dominant performances of the round. They overpowered Sarthak Arya and Tushar Chauhan of Odisha 3-0, combining aggressive shot-making with relentless pressure, particularly in a one-sided opening game that set the tone.
Results: Men’s Doubles: Quarterfinals: M.R. Balamurugan/Siddhesh Pande (TN) bt Ankur Bhattacharjee/Shankhadip Das (WB) 6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 13-11; Jeet Chandra/Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) bt Wesley Do Rosario/Nikunj Attri (Har) 11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10; Sanil Shetty/Divyansh Srivastaava (PSPB) bt Karthikeyhan Solaiyan/Tharun Shanmugam (TN) 11-8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6; Ronit Bhanja/Preyesh Raj Suresh (RSPB) bt Sarthak Arya/Tushar Chauhan (ODS) 11-1, 13-11, 11-5. PTI BS APA APA
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