NAGPUR: Making a comeback after an opening of more than 12 months, Sourabh Kerhalkar stormed into the guys’ doubles final in the first Maharashtra Senior State Selection match at Nanded on Saturday.
The penultimate day of the 4-day tourney became ruled via the city shuttlers as they made it to the finals of all three events of the doubles category.
Sourabh Kerhalkar, who will flip 20 on Sunday, emerged because of the most sudden packet of the season’s first country senior tourney. Playing an aggressive event after an extended gap, Sourabh returned to the scene with a bang. The crack aggregate of Sourabh and Ajinkya Patharkar of Nashik took aback pinnacle seeds Ajeet Kumbhar and Narendra Patil of Pune 21-15, 19-21, 21-13 in an exciting guys’ doubles semifinal.
In a match that lasted forty-four minutes, Sourabh, who represented India in the World Junior Badminton Championship in 2017, displayed his powerful smashes to topple the top seeds.
In the quarterfinal, unseeded Sourabh and Ajinkya edged beyond Gaurav Rege (Mumbai Suburban) and Prashant Bahati (Thane) 21-17, 22-20 in 35 mins.
“I turned into out of badminton scene for some time. I began practicing just a week before this match. My companion Ajinkya (Nashik) recommended that I play. I trained beneath my train, Ajay Dayal, for a few days before leaving for Nanded. I want to celebrate my birthday the next day with the winner’s trophy,” a jubilant Sourabh informed TOI from Nanded.
Rashi Lambe and Mrunmayi Saoji stamped their authority in the ladies section. Rashi was the most surprising and displayed her versatility.
She entered the combined doubles very last and her Mumbai accomplice Akshan Shetty with a difficult-fought win over Pratik Ranade and Akshaya Warang 21-16, 19-21, 21-18 within the semifinal.
The 2nd seeds will now clash with pinnacle seeds Deep Rambhiya and Pooja Devlekar of Mumbai for the identity on Sunday.
Eighteen-year-antique Rashi additionally dazzled in the women’s singles. Rashi went down fighting against Purva Barve 11-21, 20-22 within the semis in half an hour.
Earlier in the quarters, Rashi greatly surprised the second seed and her town counterpart, Mrunmayi Saoji, in three games. Mrunmayi made it to the girls’ doubles very last with her Pune associate, Manasi Gadgil.
Top seeds Mrunmayi and Manasi trounced Aditi Kale and Kalyani Limaye in direct video games. The Nagpur-Pune pair will face Pooja Devlekar and Riya Arolkar in the final.
NAGPUR RESULTS
Semifinals: Women’s singles: Rashi Lambe lost to Purva Barve 11-21, 20-22; Men’s doubles: Sourabh Kerhalkar-Ajinkya Patharkar bt 1-Ajeet Kumbhar-Narendra Patil 21-15, 19-21, 21-13; Women’s doubles: 1-Mrunmayi Saoji-Manasi Gadgil bt Aditi Kale-Kalyani Limaye 21-12, 21-15; Mixed doubles: 2-Akshan Shetty-Rashi Lambe bt Pratik Ranade-Akshaya Warang 21-16, 19-21, 21-18.
Quarterfinals: Women’s singles: Rashi Lambe bt 2-Mrunmayi Saoji 21-17, 13-21, 21-13; Men’s doubles: Sourabh Kerhalkar-Ajinkya Patharkar bt Gaurav Rege-Prashant Bahatre 21-17, 22-20; Gaurav Mithe-Nihar Kelkar misplaced to 1-Ajeet Kumbhar-Narendra Patil 18-21, 21-19, nine-21; Mixed doubles: 2-Akshan Shetty-Rashi Lambe bt Ajeet Kumbhar-Aditi Kale 21-14, 21-10; Women’s doubles: 1-Mrunmayi Saoji-Manasi Gadgil walkover Shreya Bahadkar-Sumitra Hangargekar; Palak Thakkar-Shubhangi Majumder misplaced to two-Mrunal Upadhye-Sanashree Dhamdhere 21-23, thirteen-21.
HYDERABAD: N Pranauv Ram of Telangana State, Navya Kanderi of Andhra Pradesh, and Unnati Hooda of Haryana are in line for a grand double All-India Sub-junior (U-13) Ranking Badminton Tournament at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy right here on Saturday.
Ram reached the finals in the boys’ singles and doubles classes, while Navya and Unnati Hooda made it to the identity spherical in the ladies’ singles and doubles classes.
