Chiplunkar triumphs

With the men’s singles event being a gross disappointment at the Andheri Sports Complex, the feats of Mallika Parekh and Aditya Mahagaonkar will stand out.

Mallika yet again completed a triple crown her third in a row this season while Aditya scored a grand double (sub-junior and boy’s titles).

And for sheer thrills and excitement, school boy Aditya’s fightback from two games down to pip Trilok Prabhune in the boy’s singles final will perhaps be regarded as the day’s feature match.

Twelve-year-old Aditya of Hansraj Morarjee school took time to adjust to his much taller opponents, colleting Prabhune’s top-spin.

But it wasn’t too late, even though the diminutive schoolboy trailed 17-21, 18-21 and with encouragement from coach Deepak Mani, Aditya’s rallies captivated the audience.

Back came his effective blocking and aggressive counter flummoxed a fast tiring Prabhune. Aditya wrested the last three games 21-19, 22-20, 21-17 to add to his sub-junior crown won on Thursday he achieved a similar feat at the Ghatkopar Open.

Mallika Parekh has been setting the local TT circuit afire but spare a though for her run of success, however, staggering.

Nine triple crowns in her career and today’s feat making it a hat-trick for the 13-year-old international, much to the disappointment of 13-year-old No 2 seed Shalmali Mhatre who played bridesmaid to Mallika in both the girls and women’s finals.

A bout of typhoie and the ensuing weakness stifled Shalmali’s actions. The runner-up, however, had her moments in both finals.

Mallika needed four games to beat Shalmali in the girls final and a gruelling five game struggle to clinch the women’s title.

The champion said she wasn’t focussed during this tournament and acknowledged that Shalmali’s dipping back-hand returns caused all sorts of problems. But her greater experience and game honed by recent international exposure held Mallika in good stead, despite her conceding several negative points. Mallika won the girls’ final 21-15, 19-21, 21-18, 21-8 and the women’s title clash 21-17, 16-21, 21-16, 19-21, 21-13.

Results

Men’s singles (semi-finals): Sanjay nemlekar bt Kunal Solanki 21-14, 21-16, 21-16; Mahendra Chiplunkar 21-11, 21-9, 21-19. Final: M Chiplunkar bt S Nemlekar 21-16, 25-23, 21-14.

Boys singles (semi-finals): Aditya Mahagaonkar bt Karan Kapoor 21-14, 21-18 conceded; Trilok Prabhune bt ……… 21-10, 21-15, 21-16. Final: Aditya Mahagaonkar bt Trilok Prabhune 17-21, 18-21, 21-17, 22-20, 21-17.

Women’s singles (semi-finals): Mallika Parekh bt Radhika Ghatnekar 21-14, 21-11, 21-14; Shalmali Mhatre bt Shruti Kanade 21-15, 21-7, 21-9. Final: Mallika bt Shalmali 21-17, 16-21, 21-16, 19-21, 21-13.

Girls singles (semi-finals): Mallika Parekh bt Mugdha kanade 21-15, 21-12, 21-16; Shalmali Mhatre bt Janhvi Deshpande 21-14, 21-12, 21-23, 21-18.

Final: Mallika bt Shalmali 21-14, 19-21, 21-18, 21-8.