Rithvik Sanjeevi and Surya Charishma Tamiri (Image Agency) Surya Charishma Tamiri and Rithvik Sanjeevi emerged as the new women’s and men’s singles champions at the Senior National Badminton Championships, sealing their titles with their performances on Sunday. In the women’s singles final, 19-year-old Surya, who hails from Vijayawada, recovered from a slow start to beat Tanvi Patri 17-21, 21-12, 21-14 in a match that lasted nearly an hour. Tanvi had the upper hand early on, dictating play midway through the opening game and forcing Surya into a series of unforced errors to take the first game.
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The key moment came early in the second game at 6-5 when Surya returned with a serve into the net. She was given a lifeline when the umpire on duty reported a height error, allowing her to stay in the rally. Taking advantage of the reprieve, Surya turned up the intensity and reeled off seven straight points to take control of the game and tie the match. The decisive game turned into a test of endurance. Surya drags Tanvi into extended rallies and the physical toll soon takes its toll. Tanvi tried to stay in touch but her movement slowed down as the game progressed. From 15 to 14, Surya shifted gears and closed out the contest with six consecutive points to secure the title. In the men’s singles final, Rithvik Sanjeevi relied on his solid defense and calm temperament to see off Bharat Raghav. Rithvik handled the opening game comfortably but the second game proved more challenging as Bharat raced to a 9-5 lead. The 2024 Odisha Masters champion responded with a run of six points in a row to swing the momentum back in his favor and looked set for a straight finish. However, a few misjudgments allowed Bharat to get back into the match and even reach a game point. Rithvik held his nerve, stuck to his tactics and sealed the match in the 39th minute. The doubles final also produced clear winners. In the women’s doubles, veterans Shikha Gautam and Ashwini Bhat K clinched the title with a straight games victory over second seeds Priya Devi Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra as they won 21-14, 21-18. Top seeds Hariharan Amsakarunan and R Ruban Kumar lived up to their placing in the men’s doubles final by defeating Mithileish P Krishnan and Prejan 21-17, 21-12. In mixed doubles, second seeds Sathwik Reddy K and Radhika Sharma caused an upset by defeating top seeds Ashith Surya and Amrutha P 21-9, 21-15 to lift the championship trophy.
