Sridhar chokes before recovering

Playing after a month was always going to be tough and top-seed Anup Sridhar was well aware of this fact.

Playing after a month was always going to be tough and top-seed Anup Sridhar was well aware of this fact. Expectedly, Sridhar was given a tough welcome on Sunday when he was run close by Mohit Kamat before a big round of applause — undoubtedly meant for both — signaled a dramatic opening day in the Patni Computer Systems-All India Major Ranking Badminton tournament.

In the end, Sridhar lived another day with a 21-13, 19-21, 21-13 win to leave organisers Poona District Sports Foundation content. At the WIE Sports Complex, Karnataka’s Kamat — a qualifier — almost matched the World No 25, before Sridhar’s experience of playing at a much higher level prevailed.

In the 50 minutes that Kamat and Sridhar fought there was nothing that could separate the two. The first game saw both stay abreast till 11 points, before an eight-point surge by Sridhar that swung the game in his favour. The second saw Kamat fight hard as he led 12-16 then 14-19, before allowing Sridhar to level at 19 apiece and then pushed the match into Game 3.

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In the decider Sridhar, who has always had close matches against Kamat, managed to keep ahead. In the latter part of the game he opened up a two-point (14-12) advantage that swelled to seven points (20-13) before acknowledging Kamat’s efforts with a pat on his back.

Having survived in the last 16, Sridhar came to his groove to enter the quarter finals in the evening with a 21-13, 21-15 win over Tanveer Gill (Delhi), to complete a fate-filled day.

With No 5 Sachin Ratti (Railways) and No 7 Utsav Mishra (Uttar Pradesh) advancing with three-game struggles, the evening saw former National champion Ratti become the first seeded casualty. Later No 4 Ravinder Singh was shown the door by JBS Vidyadhar (AP) 24-22, 13-21, 17-21 in what was the longest match of the day lasting 63 minutes.

Ratti, pitted against Maharashtra’s Sagar Chopda, was done in by the latter’s excellence at the net in a 55-minute affair.

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In fact, if one analysed the 21-12, 11-21, 21-18 win minutely the state lad hardly gave Ratti a chance.