The Hindu : Sport : Zubin shocks Sharat

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Saturday, Mar 10, 2007
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Zubin shocks Sharat

Rakesh Rao

Petroleum to fight it out with Railways

TURNING THE TABLES: Zubin Kumar surprised Sharath Kamal in the men's team championship semifinal. — Photo: Sandeep Saxena

AJMER: Playing like a man possessed, 20-year-old Zubin Kumar produced six games of sheer brilliance to bring the mighty Petroleum on its knees.

He bounced back from a two-game deficit to defeat Soumyadeep Roy and then returned to cause the biggest sensation of the AAI-National inter-State table tennis championship by knocking out Sharath Kamal. That, too, in straight games!

With the semifinal clash locked at 2-2, Devesh Karia took the first game of the decider 11-4 against a struggling Roy to push Petroleum to the brink of a humiliating loss. However, Roy got his act together after flirting with danger all the way.

Sharath's candid admission after Petroleum escaped its most embarrassing defeat in the National championship aptly reflected the tension on the team bench during the match.

"I was not so nervous even in the Commonwealth Championship final (in Kuala Lumpur in 2004). That was because we were the underdogs. But certainly not here. When Roy lost the first game of the decider, he said `nothing seems to be working today'. Just imagine our plight. But I asked him to play his game by keeping the ball in play and not try anything different. We were really lucky to win today," said Sharath, with relief writ all over his smiling face.

After all, Petroleum never looked closer to a premature exit. But all credit to Zubin for playing the way he did. I decided to attack all the way and the ploy worked," said Zubin.

A protégé of Chinese coach Yin Wie in the Petroleum Academy here, Zubin received lavish praise from Sharath, who magnanimously applauded the youngster after losing the second game.

Unbelievable shots

"I have not seen the kind of backhand returns that Zubin played in the second game. He produced some unbelievable shots. I believe my topspin is among the best in the game but he rendered them ineffective today."

In fact, considering Roy's lack of form, the decision to make the former National champion play two singles ahead of Subhajit Saha almost backfired for Petroleum.

The hard-earned 3-2 victory took Petroleum to the men's final against traditional rival Railways, which won 3-1 against West Bengal.

Even in the women's section, it will be Petroleum versus Railways, after the latter humbled last year's runner-up North Bengal, with "Comeback Mom" Anindita Chakraborty taming Kasturi Chakraborty and Nandita Saha.

Gritty show

Playing the fourth singles under tremendous pressure against Nandita after Railways' Sayantika Kundu surprisingly lost to Ankita Das, Anindita came up with a gritty show to script a dominating victory.

In the other semifinals, Petroleum coasted to a 3-0 victory over Tamil Nadu. Only M. Aparna came close to preventing a sweep after she won the first two games against practice-partner K. Shamini.

However, Shamini had the last laugh. In the third singles, A.V. Nivedita did well to take the third game to extended points against defending singles champion Poulomi Ghatak.

The results (Team championship): Men: Semifinals: Petroleum beat Rajasthan 3-2 (Sharath Kamal bt Devesh Karia 11-6, 11-8, 11-6; Soumyadeep Roy lost to Zubin Kumar 11-9, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11, 8-11; Subhajit Saha bt Tarun Verma 11-3, 11-4, 11-3; Sharath lost to Zubin 8-11, 7-11, 10-12; Soumyadeep bt Karia 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4).

Railways beat West Bengal 3-0 (Anirban Nandi bt Shubham Choudhary 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 14-12, 11-4; Sourav Chakraborty bt Shibaji Dutta 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10; Amal Raj bt Arunava Ganguly 13-11, 11-4, 11-9).

Women: Semifinals: Petroleum beat Tamil Nadu 3-0 (Mouma Das bt J. Swarna 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7; K. Shamini bt M. Aparna 9-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4; Poulomi Ghatak bt A.V. Nivedita 11-8, 11-5, 17-15).

Railways beat North Bengal 3-1 (Anindita Chakraborty bt Kasturi Chakraborty 11-7, 11-5, 11-8; Soumi Mondal bt Nandita Saha 12-10, 12-10, 11-6; Sayantika Kundu lost to Ankita Das 9-11, 11-7, 10-12, 9-11; Anindita bt Nandita 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4).

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