Tamil Nadu’s M R Balamurugan and Siddhesh Pande stunned top seeds Ankur Bhattacharjee and Shankhadip Das of Bengal as the men’s doubles competition at the 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships witnessed a dramatic shake-up at the Abhay Prashal Stadium in Indore on Thursday.
The loss of the top seeds has paved the way for an intriguing semifinal line-up featuring a blend of experience, resilience, and attacking flair.
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.
Sanil and Divyansh make steady progress
Meanwhile, Sanil Shetty and Divyansh Srivastava of PSPB continued their steady march with a composed win over the Tamil Nadu pair of Karthikeyan Solaiyan and Tharun Shanmugam. Controlling the tempo for most of the match, the left-right-handed pair secured a 3-1 win, absorbing a brief third-game resistance before closing it out efficiently.
Earlier in the day, the pre-quarterfinals delivered a mix of commanding wins and hard-fought battles, with a few standout clashes stealing the spotlight.
The most gripping contest came from Ankur and Shakhadip, who edged past Yatharth Barthunia and Priyansh Bhati in a tense four-game encounter. The opening game alone, a 16-14 thriller, set the tone for a match defined by fine margins. Even after dropping the third, Ankur and Shakhadip held their nerve to close it 11-9 in the fourth against the Rajasthan duo.
Equally compelling was the five-game duel between Sarthak and Tushar and the Karnataka pair of K J Aakash and P Yeshwanth. After taking the first game, the Odhisa pair found itself on the back foot as its opponents surged ahead. However, Sarthak and Tushar regrouped impressively, dominating the fourth and narrowly clinching the decider 11-9 in a high-pressure finish.
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Ronit and Preyesh also showed resilience, recovering from a slow start to defeat Rupam Sardar and Soham Mukherjee of AAI. After conceding the opening game, they turned the match around decisively, particularly with a dominant 11-2 third game that shifted momentum firmly in their favour.
In other pre-quarterfinals, several pairs advanced with authority. Jeet and Anirban were clinical, especially in a tight second game, while Karthikeyan and Tharun secured a straight-games win through consistent control. Sanil and Divyansh were the most dominant, cruising past their opponents with minimal resistance.
Results: Men’s doubles (quarterfinals): M R Balamurugan/Siddhesh Pande (TN) beat Ankur Bhattacharjee/Shankhadip Das (WB) 6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 13-11; Jeet Chandra/Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) beat Wesley Do Rosario/Nikunj Attri (Har) 11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10; Sanil Shetty/Divyansh Srivastaava (PSPB) beat Karthikeyhan Solaiyan/Tharun Shanmugam (TN) 11-8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6; Ronit Bhanja/Preyesh Raj Suresh (RSPB) beat Sarthak Arya/Tushar Chauhan (ODS) 11-1, 13-11, 11-5.
Pre-quarterfinals: Ankur/Shakhadip beat Yatharth Barthunia/Priyansh Bhati (Raj) 16-14, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9; Balamurugan/Siddhesh beat Ansh Sarbharwl/Sarth Mishra (UP) 11-5, 11-2, 9-11, 11-4; Wesley/Nikunj beat Mohammad Ali/Swarnendu Chowdhury (Telg) 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5; Jeet/Anirban beat Abhinav K Murthy/Atharva Nawarange (Kar) 11-3, 14-12, 11-8; Karthikeyan/Tharun beat Sudhanshu Grover/Shivjit Singh Lamba (Del) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9; Sanil/Divyansh beat Soumyadeep Sarkar/Shivam Solanki (MP) 11-9, 11-4, 11-1; Sarthak/Tushar beat K J Aakash/P Yeshwanth (Kar) 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9; Ronit/Preyesh beat Rupam Sardar/Soham Mukherjee (AAI) 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-8.
