PANAJI
Thirteen-year-old Ruhaan Shaikh scripted a sensational run to the men’s final where he will take on seasoned campaigner Dheeraj Rai at the YMCA Major Ranking Table Tennis Tournament being played at the Indoor Stadium, Campal.
Organised by YMCA Panjim in aegis with the Goa Table Tennis Association, the knockout stages saw a blend of youthful exuberance and experienced grit on display.
In the quarterfinals, Ruhaan cruised past Nathan Barua 4-2, while Chandan Caro, a National Ranking Gold medalist, produced a stunning comeback from three games down to edge past Manish Yadav 4-3, winning the next four games on the trot.
Former State champion Dheeraj Rai, making a strong return, outplayed another ex-champion Diljeet Velingkar 4-1, and Rishan Shaikh powered past former state title-holder Regan Pinto with a convincing 4-1 win.
The semifinals served up a thrilling drama with two cliffhangers. Ruhaan displayed immense maturity beyond his years to upset fancied Chandan Caro 4-3 in a pulsating encounter decided in seven games (11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5).
In the other semifinal, Dheeraj Rai held his composure in crunch moments to edge past Rishan Shaikh 4-3 after a rollercoaster battle.
Trailing 1-5 in the decider, Dheeraj relied on his experience to claw back as Rishan faltered under pressure, eventually sealing the match 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9. The stage is now set for an exciting generation clash in the men’s final between the young prodigy and the seasoned campaigner on Sunday.
