RAIA: A major upset in the men’s singles category set the tone at the Goa Badminton Association’s State badminton ranking tournament for seniors (men and women), underway at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium, Navelim, on Saturday.
Young rising sub-junior talent, Advait Balakrishnan outplayed Goa’s top-ranked player from last season Ayaan Shaikh, with a score of 21-19, 21-13 to mark a major upset in the prequarters.
Later during the day, in men’s singles quarter-finals, top-seeded Arunesh Hari outsmarted Arjun Bhagat 21-15, 21-7. Nishant Shenai, seeded fourth, secured a win against Anuj Vernekar with a decisive 21-7, 21-5 victory. Sixth seed Rahul Deswal overcame third-seed Karan Dhavaskar 21-10, 21-18; while Sushil Nayak defeated Advait Balakrishnan in a thrilling match that ended 21-19, 12-21, 21-18.
The men’s doubles quarter-finals also showcased dominant performances.
Top-seeded duo Arjun Fallary and Tejan Fallary triumphed over Abhishek Swami and Sadiq Attar with a score of 21-12, 21-13. The fourth-seeded pair Aryaman Saraf and Suraj Lama outsmarted Chinmay Kamat and Divyesh Shirsat 21-11, 21-15.
Second seeds Floyd Araujo and Fredrick Fernandes overcame Kewal Sawant and Krishnaraj Gauns 21-12, 21-16; while Advait Balakrishnan and Parteek Mahajan won against Ashmeet Parsekar and Parth Joshi 21-18, 21-16 in a closely fought match.
In the mixed doubles category, top-seeded Tejan Fallary and Lydia Barreto defeated Sadiq Attar and Tabbasum Shaikh 21-15, 21-8. Fourth seeds, Mrunal Bhatkande and Minoshka Pereira overcame Ashmeet Parsekar and Shreya Mehta in a closely contested match, ending 21-14, 16-21, 21-12.
Arunesh H and Sufiya Shaikh outplayed Advait Balakrishnan and Ritika Chelluri with a score of 21-6, 21-13; while second seeds, Aryaman Saraf and Yasmin Sayed triumphed over Chirag Mahale and Janhavi Virnodkar 21-19, 21-12.