CHENNAI : India boys and girls lost narrowly in the quarterfinals of the World Junior Squash Championships Team competition in Houston. The sixth-seeded boys went down 1-2 to fourth-seed South Korea, and the girls by an identical margin to third seed Malaysia.
Yuvraj Wadhwani got India boys off to a winning start with a 3-2 win over Seojin Oh. However, Shaurya Bawa, who last week won individual bronze, went down to individual silver medallist Joo Young Na in four close games. In the deciding tie, Kun Kim proved too strong for Arihant KS. India results (quarterfinals): Boys: India lost to South Korea 1-2 (Yuvraj Wadhwani bt Seojin Oh 11-7, 4-11, 7-11,11-7,11-6; Shaurya Bawa lost to Joo Young Na 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 6-11; Arihant KS lost to Kun Kim 7-11, 6-11, 9-11); Girls: India lost to Malaysia 1-2 (Shameena Riaz lost to Whitney Wilson 7-11, 3-11, 10-12; Anahat Singh bt Thanusaa Uthrian 6-11, 15-13, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6; Nirupama Dubey lost to Doyce Ye San Lee 7-11, 11-7,11-5, 10-12, 3-11).
Orazly makes winning start
In a fierce battle between two foreign Grandmasters Annageldyev Orazly (Turmenikistan) and Sizhvesky Alexander (Russia) on the top board, the latter employed the Pelikan variation of Sicilian defence. In an attacking game, black outwitted white after winning an exchange. Combining his Queen and rook he scored an emphatic victory by attacking the white king at the 21st Tamil Nadu IM Norm Closed Circuit Tournament. J Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary SDAT inaugurated the meet by making a formal move over the chess board against GM RB Ramesh in the presence of Manickam, president, of TNSCA. Results: Round 1: Annageldyev Orazly 1 (Turmenikistan) 0 lost to Alexander (Russia) 1; Mangandan S (India) .5 drew with Manik Mikulas (Slovakia) .5; Akash G (India) 1 bt Athvik Adiga (India) 0; Lokesh N (India) 0 lost to Adireddy Arjun (India) 1.
Apurva advances
Apurva Vemuri of Telangana blanked Ashmita Mitra of Bengal 6-0, 6-0 in the girl’s qualifying third round match of the Indium Software AITA tennis championship organised by TNTA. Results: Women: Qualifying 3rd Round: Apurva Vemuri (TS) bt Ashmita Mitra (WB) 6-0, 6-0; Aadhya Balaji (TN) bt Ana Varshney (UP) 6-1, 6-1; Adithi Are (TS) bt Elin Harshini (TN) 6-1, 6-2; Aditi Tyagi (HR) bt Deeksha (TN) 6-2, 6-1; Diya Ramesh (TN) bt Aareyalee Amrutsinh Chavan (MH) 6-4, 6-4; Danica Nirmal Fernando(MH) bt Gauri Anant (MH) 6-0, 6-0; Gayatri Rajesh Menon (KL) bt Richa Dadasaheb Chougule (MH) 6-3, 6-0; Diya Bhatia (UP) bt Kotishtha Modak (MH) 1-6, 6-3, 10-4. Men: Qualifying 2nd Round: Arjun Mahadevan bt Abraar Kariim 6-1, 6-2; Dhruv Promod bt Suresh Babu D 6-1, 6-2; Hemant Kumar bt Girish Dadasaheb Chougule 6-1, 6-0; Mahalingam A Kandhavel bt Lohith Aksha W/O; Nithin Adhith bt Jachin Boas 6-1, 6-4; Krish Subhramanaiam bt Nitin Padbanaban 6-2, 6-1, Rethin Pranav bt Vishnu Balachander 6-2, 7-5; Shashank M bt Aniketh Venkataraman 4-6, 6-4, 10-4; Rahul Ram bt Sai Kiran CR 7-5, 6-2; Sampath Somgovin bt Koushik Saravanan 6-2, 6-2; Sharaniyan S bt Kollapaneni Mohan Krishna 6-7(1), 6-1, 10-3; Nithik Sivakumar bt Manish Balaji 4-1 Retd; Faraz Shaker bt Harshad Nandha Kumar 6-1, 6-0.
Chelladurai Raja shines
Pooli Chelladurai Raja took 6/18 as Tenkasi beat Cuddalore in a thrilling finish of TNCA Inter Districts U-16 Tournament 2024-25 (P R Thevar Trophy). Brief scores: Vellore (Group A): Cuddalore 106 in 39.3 ovs (Pooli Chelladurai Raja S 6/18) lost to Tenkasi 107/9 in 39.3 ovs (P Arun 3/17, S Abhilash 3/26); Vellore 127 in 48.1 ovs (NE Nithesh 59, RK Kedar 3/32) lost to Thiruvallur 131/2 in 31 ovs (S Naveen 38 n.o, I Junaid Mustaq 35); Dindigul (Group B): Nilgiris 100 in 28.3 ovs (V Boorwin 34, SU Muhammed Raseen 35, J Aswath 5/26, N Suryaprakash 3/12) lost to Ariyalur 101/4 in 29.2 ovs (S Sivaseran 35); Dindigul 243/9 in 50 ovs (BL Sanjay Balaji 124 n.o, A Hemanth 45, D Aswin Kumar 3/68) bt Pudukkottai 114 in 39 ovs (M Mohammed Ashfaq 3/21, K Deepan 3/24); Ranipet (Group C): Tirupattur 169 in 49.4 ovs (Tharun 61, Anirudh Sridhar 3/28, S. Mukundhan 3/21) lost to Kancheepuram 170/3 in 26.1 ovs (Adhvick Eswaran 67); Ranipet 94 in 41 ovs (N Deva 3/9) lost to Kallakurichi 95/9 in 33.4 ovs (P Dharun Kumar 6/16); Salem (Group D): Salem 292/5 in 50 ovs (S Pugal 89, K Karun Danush 44, R Dhesigan 48, VG Pugal Vishnu 72 n.o, B Tharun 3/65) bt Dharmapuri 119 in 44.1 ovs (T Akash 37, A. Anish Duke 4/12); Mayiladuthurai 139 in 48 ovs (V Nithishwar 47, Z Mohammed Haalid 4/16) lost to Coimbatore 140/ 4 in 30.5 ovs; Sivagangai (Group E): Tirupur 125 in 37.2 ovs (S Dhanvanth Anamangad 50, K. Kaviarasan 3/36) bt Sivagangai 122 in 48.4 ovs (J Arul Sebastin 33, S Arish Rahul 3/10); Theni 145 in 43.1 overs (MP Abhiman Sundar 41, V Arun 5/11) bt Tirunelveli 113 in 37.4 ovs (R. Daksh Anirudh 4/20, M.P. Abhiman Sundar 3/5); Thoothukudi (Group F): Kanyakumari 143 in 41.4 ovs (Immanuel Easter Josese 56, Shakthivel 4/42) bt Thiruvarur 91 in 34.6 ovs (M. Mohamed Mavasim 4/19); Thoothukudi 126 in 44.5 ovs bt Thanjavur 117 in 32.5 ovs (AJ Abhinav 5/30); Tiruchirappalli (Group G): Tiruchirapalli 294/8 in 50 ovs (T. Pakirthan 115, N Ajay Sachin 61, V Shailendar 3/40, Surenthar 3/50) bt Nagapattinam 134 in 46.3 ovs (S Dheeran 40, A. Rufus Stewart 3/14, J. Ajay 3/23); Madurai 130 in 49.3 ovs (Ashwath 37, Mohammed Rafan 4/9) lost to Erode 134/5 in 33.5 ovs (Sakthivel 34, Ridam Kumar 34, Pranav Ram 3/26); Thiruvannamalai (Group H): Ramathapuram 238/5 in 50 ovs (A Abdul Malik 119 n.o, G Arunbuvanesh 34) bt Karur 112 in 30.2 ovs (GM Ruthuvik ashwa 3/3); Chengalpattu 234/9 in 50 ovs (AZ Laiq Aariz 44, Siddarth Balakrishnan 41, R.T. Vetri Selvan 3/38) bt Tiruvannamalai 158 in 40.6 ovs (S Abhishek 45, S Mohamed Thareek 30, S Akshay Barath 3/26, S Varun Vikas 3/33).