The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Guru to meet Abhimanyu in boys’ singles final

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Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Guru to meet Abhimanyu in boys’ singles final

Sports Reporter

NELLORE: Top seed Guru Sai Dutt outplayed third seed N. Arun (AI) 21-16, 21-8 and fourth seed Abhimanyu Singh (U.P.) ended H. S. Pranoy’s (Kerala) dream run 21-12, 21-12 to make it to the boys’ final of the 32nd junior National badminton championship here on Wednesday.

It’s Sikki vs. Ruth

In the girls’ semifinals, third seed Sikki Reddy trounced top seed Mudra Dahinje (Mah) 21-19, 21-13 to set up a title clash with fourth seed Ruth Misha (Karnataka), who got the better of second seed P.C. Tulasi (Kerala) 21-17, 5-21, 21-14, in an engrossing 45-minute encounter.

Guru, who made a series of mistakes at the net, especially while dribbling, changed his game plan by mixing his half-smashes astutely to befuddle Arun. The Air-India shuttler often ended the arduous rallies by slamming the shuttle long.

Abhimanyu took a commanding 15-7 lead in the first game against Pranoy and went on to win without much sweat.

Bora fails medical test

The day also saw Assam’s S. Bora failing to get through the medical test resulting in AP’s pair of Sai Guru Dutt and K. Tarun, who lost in the boys’ doubles quarterfinals, qualifying for the semifinals.

The results: Boys: Singles (semifinals): Guru Sai Dutt (AP) bt N. Arun (AI) 21-16, 21-8; Abhimanyu Singh (U.P.) bt H.S. Pranoy 21-12, 21-12.

Doubles (semifinals): N. Arun (AI) & Anil Kumar (AP) bt A. Singh & S. Verma (MP) 21-13, 21-18; B. Antony & P.H. Suraj (Ker) bt Guru Sai Dutt & K. Tarun 21-17, 27-29, 21-18. Quarterfinals: Arun & Anil bt S. Verma (Kar) & Karthikey (AP) 21-12, 21-18; A. Singh & S. Verma bt A. Prakash (Kar) & P. Patel (Guj) 18-21, 21-13, 21-16; Antony & Suraj (Ker) bt Raj Kumar & P. Chopra (Pun) 21-19, 21-15; Ram C. Vijay (Ker) & S. Bora (Asm) bt Guru Sai Dutt & K. Tarun (AP) 18-21, 21-13, 21-17 (Ram & Bora later disqualified).

Girls: Singles (semifinals): Sikki Reddy (AP) bt Mudra (Mah) 21-19, 21-13; Ruth Misha (Kar) bt P.C. Tulasi 21-17, 5-21, 21-14. Quarterfinals: Mudra bt T. Lavanya (MP) 10-21, 21-11, 21-9; Sikki bt S. Anuradha (Mah) 21-11, 21-17; Ruth bt Sheetal (Utr) 21-13, 21-17; Tulasi bt P. Aswini (Kar) 21-10, 21-15.

Doubles (semifinals): P. Aswini & S. Nitya (Kar) bt Pradnya & K. Swetha (Mah) 21-16, 21-12; P.C. Tulasi (Ker) & Sikki Reddy (AP) bt Sanyogita & Kadambari (Mah) 21-8, 21-11. Quarterfinals: Pradanya & Swetha bt T. Lavanya & Vijeta (MP) 21-14, 21-12; Aswini & Nitya bt M. Shruthi (Rly) & J. Shruthi (AP) 21-17, 21-12; Sanyogita & Kadambari bt Pallavi (Guj) & Parsa (Rly) 21-19, 23-21; Tulasi & Sikki bt Adfa Taqui (Guj) & P. Lavanya (AP) 21-16, 21-10.

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