Tamil Nadu pair stun top seeds to reach semifinals at Senior National TT Championships

Tamil Nadu’s Balamurugan and Siddhesh Pande upset top-seeded West Bengal to enter the semifinals of the Senior National Table Tennis Championships, as RSPB dominated the men’s doubles event with two pairs advancing in Indore.

Hyderabad: 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, as top-seeded West Bengal crashed out, paving 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.

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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.

The 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.