Rajvardhan Tiwari Leads Boys Into U-11 Semis as Inaaya Stages Stunning Comeback
Maharashtra’s Rajvardhan Tiwari continued his impressive run in the Under-11 boys’ competition, while Punjab’s Inaaya produced one of the biggest comebacks of the day as the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships entered the semi-final stage in Kanpur on August 17.
The U-11 boys’ and girls’ quarter-finals produced a mixture of dominant performances and tense five-game battles at Sportz Hub, with eight players booking their places in the last four.
Rajvardhan, currently ranked second in the national U-11 rankings and the top seed at the championships, was among the most convincing performers of the day. After a closely fought opening game against Tamil Nadu’s Muhammad Rehan, he took control of the contest and completed a 14-12, 11-2, 11-3 victory.
West Bengal’s Debanshu Chakraborty, another highly ranked player, was equally clinical. He defeated Gujarat’s Rehansh Singhvi 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 to progress without dropping a game. The two results ensured that the top end of the boys’ draw remained on course, but the other two quarter-finals provided considerably more drama.
West Bengal’s Arjun Sen emerged from one of the closest matches of the round after edging Maharashtra’s Naksh Mahajan 11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6. Arjun made a strong start by taking the opening game 11-4, but Naksh responded immediately to level the contest. The third game went right down to the wire, with Arjun taking it 12-10, only for Naksh to produce another strong response and force a deciding game at 2-2.
With a place in the semi-finals at stake, Arjun maintained his composure in the fifth game. He eventually closed it out 11-6 to complete the victory. Haryana’s Granth Duklan also had to survive a five-game battle. Granth defeated West Bengal’s Mayukh Sarkar 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9 in another contest that swung repeatedly between the two players.
Mayukh recovered from losing the opening game to take the next two and move within one game of victory. Granth, however, responded by levelling the contest and then held his nerve in the decider.
Inaaya produces the comeback of the day
If the boys’ competition was defined by closely fought encounters, the girls’ quarter-finals delivered even greater drama. The standout performance came from Punjab’s Inaaya, who overturned a two-game deficit against Delhi’s Aradhya Kashyap to produce a remarkable 3-2 victory. Aradhya looked firmly in control after taking the opening two games, both by the narrow margin of 12-10.
Inaaya, however, completely changed the complexion of the contest. The Punjab youngster responded with an emphatic 11-2 victory in the third game before taking the fourth 11-4. With the momentum firmly on her side, Inaaya completed the comeback by winning the deciding game 11-7.
From two games down and facing elimination, she had won three consecutive games to reach the semi-finals. The comeback was one of the defining moments of the day's action and showcased the importance of resilience in the younger age categories, where matches can change rapidly once momentum shifts.
Varenya and Kritika also fight back
West Bengal’s Varenya Sarkar also had to recover from an early setback against Maharashtra’s Dhadkkan Tanna. Tanna took the opening game 11-5, but Varenya responded by winning the next two 11-7 and 11-9. Dhadkkan refused to go away quietly, taking the fourth game 12-10 to force another decider.
Varenya held her nerve when it mattered most, winning the fifth game 11-8 to secure her place in the last four. Kritika Saibo produced another comeback for West Bengal, defeating Telangana’s Chetan Adhira 10-12, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8. Chetan appeared to be in a commanding position after winning the first two games, but Kritika completely changed the momentum with an aggressive response.
She won three consecutive games to complete the turnaround and secure her semi-final berth. Haryana’s Phalgun Gupta enjoyed the most straightforward quarter-final in the girls’ draw, defeating compatriot Mahi Kumari 11-7, 11-9, 11-5.
The U-11 girls’ competition has now opened up considerably, with the top-seeded players already eliminated before the semi-final stage. Varenya Sarkar, Kritika Saibo, Inaaya and Phalgun Gupta will now battle for a place in the final. The boys’ semi-final lineup is equally intriguing, with top seed Rajvardhan Tiwari joined by Arjun Sen, Granth Duklan and Debanshu Chakraborty.
Rajvardhan's progression will attract particular attention given his position at the top of the draw, but the performances of Arjun and Granth in five-game contests demonstrate that the semi-finals could present a very different challenge. Meanwhile, the Under-13 boys’ and girls’ qualification phase has also concluded, with the successful players advancing to the main draw.
That adds another layer to the championships as attention gradually shifts from the U-11 title races towards the next age group.
For now, however, the spotlight remains firmly on the eight U-11 semi-finalists. Rajvardhan and Debanshu will carry the expectations of two of the leading contenders in the boys’ section, while Inaaya’s extraordinary comeback has ensured that the girls’ competition remains wide open.
With the title races entering their decisive stages, Sportz Hub in Kanpur is set for another day of intense junior table tennis action.
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