Poulomi Ghatak paddles ashore

Chetan Baboor (IOC) won the men’s title beating Arjun Dutta (IOC). But he had to earn his Rs 50,000 prize, after Arup Basak (HPCL), the only player capable of extending the national champion apart from S Raman, had Baboor scratching his shaven head.

Basak lead 16-12 in the deciding fifth game of their semi-final match before he served out at 16-13. They equalled 18-18 but that was as far as Basak could go. Baboor earned a spot in the final with a 21-9, 26-24, 14-21, 13-21, 21-19 win, and then said thesemi-final had not been too difficult.

Fourth seed Dutta (IOC) exposed No 2 S Raman’s lack of match practice in the semi-finals but let his only chance in the final go, to lose 17-21, 13-21, 15-21.

At 17-17 in the first game, it could have gone either way. “I should have taken that game,” said Dutta later. But Baboor, with the confidence of having beaten a host of top-ranked players — including the World No 1 — behind him, did not drop a point. The rest was simple for the world No 72 and a good afternoon’s job was completed in 32 minutes.

POULOMI PANACHE: Poulomi played horrible’ in the first as Anindita started aggressively. The aggression, however, soon switched allegiance. It was the 17-year-old Poulomi who moved ahead after both were perched 16-16 in the second. A running forehand, tennis-style, took the twice junior National champion to 17 and then gave her the game 21-17.

Anindita won a close third game, and at 6-6 in the fourth, the brave few who preferred to sweat their Sundayafternoon to the comfort of their homes, must have secretly hoped for an end.

But Poulomi, inspired by the presence of her favourite player Kamlesh Mehta, had other ideas. She lead there on, mixing aggression with subtlety, to force the decider.

Anindita started well to reach 7-3 but Poulomi closed in at 8-8, overtook her opponent, answered everything that was thrown at her and seldom looked like losing from that position. Anindita saved two match points, but hit a forehand out and gave Poulomi a reason to smile.

RESULTS

Men (final): Chetan Baboor (IOC) bt Arjun Dutta (IOC) 21-17, 21-13, 21-15. (Semi-finals): Baboor bt Arup Basak (HP) 21-9, 26-24, 14-21, 13-21, 21-19; Dutta bt S Raman (IOC) 18-21, 19-21, 21-9, 21-18, 21-18.

Women (final): Poulomi Ghatak (Bengal) bt Anindita Chakraborty (Railways) 16-21, 21-18, 22-24, 21-13, 21-16. (Semi-finals): Poulomi bt Mouma Das (Bengal) 19-21, 21-12, 21-13, 23-21; Anindita bt NR Indu (IOC) 15-21, 21-15, 15-21, 21-14, 21-10.