Surat (Gujarat) [India], November 13: Rising stars Abhilash Raval of Ahmedabad and Harshil Kothari of Bhavnagar qualified for the main draw of the Men’s event at the Tapti Valley International School 4th Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament 2021 that is being organised by the Surat District Table Tennis Association under the aegis of Gujarat State Table Tennis Association from November 12 to 14 at the Tapti Valley International School in Olpad, Surat.

Abhilash, who is currently ranked fourth in the Junior Boys’ (U-19) rankings, topped Group 1 in the Men’s singles qualifying round.

Abhilash beat Valsad’s Vinit Vaidya 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 before sealing the deal with an 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 win over local boy Parva Sheth. 

Harshil, who is currently ranked third in the U-19 category, too had smooth sailing in Group 4. The youngster from Bhavnagar beat Aryan Shah of Surat 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 before beating Valsad’s Jigar Shah 11-3, 11-7, 11-7 in another match.

Rajkot’s Jaynil Mehta also reached the main draw with wins over local boy Jay Deputy (11-4, 11-9, 11-5) and Ahmedabad’s Mudit Bansal (12-10, 11-1, 11-6).

Ahmedabad’s Monish Dedhia also move into the main draw with wins over Surat’s Rohit Jadav (11-2, 11-3, 11-2) and Aravalli’s Arman Shaikh (11-13, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5).

In the Sub Junior Boys’ (U-15) qualifying, Ahmedabad’s Malav Panchal twice broke the local hearts to reach the main draw.

Malav, who is currently ranked fifth in Cadet (U-13) category, first beat Surat’s Vivansingh Gharia 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 before recording an 11-8, 12-10, 11-6 win over another Surat boy Angad Jain.

Ahmedabad’s Kaavya Punjabi too moved into the main draw with wins over Bhavnagar’s Sanket Shah 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9 and Surat’s Yug Parmar 5-11, 11-9, 14-12, 13-11.

Naitik Jain brought some smiles to the local crowd as he moved into the main draw with wins over Kachchh’s Yug Singh 11-3, 11-1, 11-2 and Bhavnagar’s Harshit Joshi 11-8, 12-10, 11-4.

Key Results:

Men’s Singles Qualifying

Group 1:

Abhilash Raval (AHD) def Vinit Vaidya (VLD) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6

Parva Sheth (SRT) def Vinit Vaidya (VLD) 11-6, 13-15, 11-3, 11-3

Abhilash Raval (AHD) def Parva Sheth (SRT) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4

Group 2:

Jaynil Mehta (RJT) def Jay Deputy (SRT) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5

Jay Deputy (SRT) def Mudit Bansal (AHD) 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6

Jaynil Mehta (RJT) def Mudit Bansal (AHD) 12-10, 11-1, 11-6

Group 4:

Harshil Kothari (BVN) def Aryan Shah (SRT) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7

Aryan Shah (SRT) def Jigar Patel (VLD) 13-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-13, 11-8

Harshil Kothari (BVN) def Jigar Patel (VLD) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7

Group 14:

Monish Dedhia (AHD) def Rohit Jadav (SRT) 11-2, 11-3, 11-2

Arman Shaikh (ARV) def Rohit Jadav (SRT) 13-11, 11-6, 11-8

Monish Dedhia (AHD) def Arman Shaikh (ARV) 11-13, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5

Sub Junior Boys’ Qualifying:

Group 7:

Kaavya Punjabi (AHD) def Sanket Shah (BVN) 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9

Sanket Shah (BVN) def Yug Parmar (SRT) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9

Kaavya Punjabi (AHD) def Yug Parmar (SRT) 5-11, 11-9, 14-12, 13-11

Group 11:

Naitik Jain (SRT) def Yug Singh (KCH) 11-3, 11-1, 11-2

Harshit Joshi (BVN) def Yug Singh (KCH) 11-4, 11-1, 11-3

Naitik Jain (SRT) def Harshit Joshi (BVN) 11-8, 12-10, 11-4

Group 12:

Shivansh Zalawada (RJT) def Param Parmar (BVN) 11-6, 11-0, 11-2

Naitik Choradia (SRT) def Param Parmar (BVN) 11-5, 19-17, 11-13, 11-9

Shivansh Zalawada (RJT) def Naitik Choradia (SRT) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7

Group 13:

Malav Panchal (AHD) def Vivansingh Gharia (SRT) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7

Vivansingh Gharia (SRT) def Angad Jain (SRT) 11-8, 12-10, 11-6

Malav Panchal (AHD) def Angad Jain (SRT) 11-5, 11-1, 11-5