Manush, who won a silver medal in the season-opener at Sonepat and picked the trophy in the East Zone at Howrah, won 4-1 with little resistance coming from Shubham. The Maharashtra lad, who showed a lot of determination, especially in the quarters, went out of the equation despite taking the second game. Both had a good exchange of rallies and counters but in the end Manush was flawless on the day.
In the semi-finals, an off-colour Manush Shah struggled against Akash Pal of West Bengal who matched his rival's skills before bowing ou 2-4. In the match that witnessed some long rallies, the Gujarat left-hander always had the advantage. But for Maharashtra's Shubham Ambre, the match was as good as won when he confidently won the opening game after deuce against Haryana left-hander Wesley Do Rosario before consolidating his position. It was just a matter of time before he defeated his opponent.
The Youth Girls crown went the way of Moumita Datta of West Bengal, who defeated Anusha Kutumbale from Madhya Pradesh, 4-1 for her first crown in the season. However, it was a struggle for both Moumita and Anusha in the semi-finals as they ran into stubborn Maharashtra opponents in Manushree Patil and Swastika Ghosh. But, the two experienced paddlers prevailed over them to enter the final.
( With inputs from IANS )