Behl dethrones Arjan for title

CHENNAI, January 9: Twenty-year-old Akhil Behl, a third year B Com student of Sydenham College, Mumbai, overcame a dreadful start to defeat ...

CHENNAI, January 9: Twenty-year-old Akhil Behl, a third year B Com student of Sydenham College, Mumbai, overcame a dreadful start to defeat Arjan Singh for his maiden title in the India-Cements Senior National Squash Championship at the MCC courts on Friday. Behl won 0-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-7.

Behl came into his own in the second game. Some exquisite drop shots and unbelievable retrievals were the feature of his play and which had Arjan in all sorts of troubles. Watched by a good gathering, the final between the top two seeds looked like a one-sided contest. Arjan was on a song in Game One. But the contest came alive when Behl made Arjan shuffle around in the second game. Arjan got a dose of his own medicine when Behl came up with some great retrievals. Not unexpectedly, Arjan’s confidence took a knock and some unforced errors from him meant losing the second and third games.

Behl, having smelled victory, was in no mood to surrender the initiative even after Arjan held a slender 7-5 lead. Far from pressing the panic button, Behl kept Arjan engrossed in the rallies. And with his backhand drops working wonders, Behl finished it off with a delectable down the line shot.

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Job done, Behl said: "I almost slept in the first game. But the strategy of pushing Arjan around paid off in the subsequent games and I came good in the background drops. This is the best victory of my life."

When asked whether the win will change his attitude and he will play professional squash, Behl said, "It is tough to be a professional player as there is not much money in the game. Probably, I will go for higher studies".

Arjan, who lost out on his fourth consecutive title was magnanimous in his praise for Behl. "He played a great match. He was a better player today and fully deserved his victory."

In the over-35 category final, Yogendra Singh (Delhi) beat Chandrakant Pawar (Bombay) 9-2, 9-0, 9-4.