Rithvik Sanjeevi and Surya Charishma Tamiri win senior men’s and women’s national titles | Badminton News – The Times of India

Surya Charishma Tamiri and Rithvik Sanjeevi became the new women’s and men’s singles champions respectively at the Senior National Badminton Championships, sealing their titles with composed performances on Sunday. In the women’s singles final, 19-year-old Surya, from Vijayawada, recovered from a slow start to beat Tanvi Patri 17-21, 21-12, 21-14 in a match that lasted almost 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 win the first game.

A key moment came early in the second game, at 6-5, when Surya hit a service return into the net. She was given a lifeline when the service judge called a height fault, allowing her to stay in the rally. Taking advantage of the delay, Surya increased her intensity and rattled off seven consecutive points to seize control of the game and level the match. The decisive match turned into a test of endurance. Surya dragged Tanvi to elaborate rallies, and the physical toll soon became apparent. Tanvi tried to maintain contact, but her movements became slower as the game progressed. From 15 to 14, Surya switched and closed the match by winning six straight points to clinch the title. In the men’s singles final, Rithvik Sanjeevi leaned on his solid defense and calm temperament to defeat Bharat Raghav. Rithvik claimed the opening game comfortably but the second game proved more challenging as Bharat took the lead to a 9-5 lead. The 2024 Odisha Masters champion responded with a run of six consecutive points, swinging the momentum back in his favor and looking set for an easy finish. However, a few poor judgment errors allowed Bharat to get back into the match, and he even reached game point. Rithvik held his nerve, stayed true to his tactics and sealed the match in 39 minutes. The doubles final also produced clear winners. In the women’s doubles, seasoned campaigners Shikha Gautam and Ashwini Bhat K claimed the title with a straight win over second seeds Priya Devi Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, winning 21-14, 21-18. Top seeds Hariharan Amsakarunan and R Ruban Kumar lived up to their expectations in the men’s doubles final, beating Mithileish P Krishnan and Prejan 21-17, 21-12. In the mixed doubles, second seeds Sathwik Reddy K and Radhika Sharma caused an upset by beating top seeds Ashith Surya and Amrutha P 21-9, 21-15 to lift the championship trophy.