Jain, Khaitan make third round

Mumbai, November 5: Rajasthan's unseeded player Abhimanyu Jain and Mukund Khaitan of Maharashtra scored contrasting victories on way to the...

Mumbai, November 5: Rajasthan8217;s unseeded player Abhimanyu Jain and Mukund Khaitan of Maharashtra scored contrasting victories on way to the junior boys under-19 third round of the Maharashtra State Open squash championship at the Bombay Gymkhana, here today.

Abhimanyu a 15-year-old tenth standard student from Jodhpur8217;s St Annes8217; School, crushed unseeded local lad Amit Gupta 9-2, 9-0, 9-0 while Khaitan outwitted unseeded Shlok Melwani 4-9, 9-5, 9-5, 4-9, 9-5 in a grueling match lasting well over an hour.

In the first round of the open event, eighth seeded Ritwik Bhattacharya of Delhi toyed with unseeded Rajendra Gujjar of Rajasthan, before prevailing 9-1, 9-0, 9-1.

In other under-19 matches, Maharashtra8217;s Juneja brothers, third seeded Rohan and fourth seeded Gaurav, scored straight-games wins. Rohan beat unseeded Sahil Vora 9-6, 9-6, 9-4 while Gaurav sidelined Vijay Jangra 9-4, 9-0, 9-0.Another unseeded player Kunal Surana of Calcutta too had a good day when he beat Arvind Singh of Mumbai 9-4, 9-3, 9-1 to make the third round.

Top seed in the open event, Akhil Behl of Maharashtra, trounced unseeded Shlok Melwani 9-0, 9-0, 9-2 to enter the second round.

Results: Junior boys u-19 2nd Round: Mahesh Verma bt Tushar Bulsara 9-2, 9-3, 9-5; Depak Yadav bt Anil Verma 9-2, 9-2, 9-1; Kunal Surana bt Arvind Singh 9-4, 9-3, 9-1; Bikram Uberoi bt N Bhosale 9-4, 9-2, 9-1; Auloke Mathur bt Sunil Verma 9-5, 9-1, 9-2; Rohan Juneja bt Sahil Vora 9-6, 9-6, 9-4; Gaura Juneja bt Vijay Jangra 9-4, 9-0, 9-0; Abhimanyu Jain bt Amit Gupta 9-2, 9-0, 9-0; Mukund Khaitan bt Shlok Melwani 4-9, 9-5, 9-5, 4-9, 9-5; Saket Wali bt D. Khaitan 9-0, 9-1, 5-9, 9-3.

Open: Main Draw 1st Round: Ritwik Bhattacharya bt R Gujjar 9-1, 9-0, 9-1; Darius Surti bt Lt M Grewal 9-1, 9-4, 9-1; Akhil Behl bt Shlok Melwani 9-0, 9-0, 9-2; Lt Rajamanin bt Samir Wali 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Niraj Shirgaonkar bt Capt Salil Bisht 7-9, 9-5, 9-5, 9-7; Bikram Uberoi bt Lt R Teotia 9-5, 9-7, 9-3.

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Professionals quarter-finals: Rajesh Verma bt Dashrath Tambe 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Anant More bt Devdas Tambe 9-1, 9-2, 9-2; Santosh More bt Kishore Bamane 9-10, 9-2, 9-1, 9-1; Ramesh More bt Yakub Shaikh 9-2, 9-1, 9-5; Sunil Verma bt B Ligam 9-3, 9-5, 9-2; GS Mohite bt Vijay Sonavane 9-4, 9-6, 9-7; CS Pawar bt Azaz Mohammed 9-6, 9-4, 9-6.

Women8217;s pre-quarter-finals: Anjali Ponni bt Natasha Lal 9-0, 9-1, 9-0.

Sub-Juniors u-12, quarter-finals: Vikas Jangra bt Shaun Mugve 9-1, 9-3, 9-2; Prateek Patni bt Vijay Bhagat 9-3, 9-0, 9-0.