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Sunday,
April 9, 2006
By a Sports Reporter
Easton,
Pa. – Sanjay Murthy said it was unnerving to
watch the players out in front of him at the
TV Asia Cup for Saturday’s final round of
the Singles Open making plays after plays.
Truth is it must have been at least equally
uncomfortable for those players knowing that
Sanjay was on par with them.
Sanjay,
playing with supreme confidence and in total
control of his game, won his second
championship in 6 months with a dominating
performance. He scored 25 points to win the
quarterfinal and semifinal games, and a
white slam victory over Madhusudana Rao of
New Jersey in the final.
Sanjay
now has won back-to-back championships. He
first won the US Open in 2005 last November
with an impressive run,
winning in the
final against the five-years-in-a-row
national finalist Ram Gopal in the 3rd
and deciding game. No such dramatics were
required this time. All throughout the
tournament, Sanjay led by comfortable
margins and seemed to find sure-shot ways to
consolidate the lead.
"I'm
having the best time right now playing
carrom," Sanjay said. "I'm having so much
fun being able to compete for championships.
It's just incredible and to win a couple
now; it's an amazing feeling."
Earlier
in the day on Saturday April 8th
2006, the tournament kicked off with 24
players registering for the singles
tournament. A low count but not bereft of
talent. Hot and delicious finger-licking
Upma (south Indian version of a spiced-up
porridge) for finger-flicking players got
the striker rolling.
The
favorites were on track, with a couple of
expected hiccups along the way. 6:00PM, and
it was time to step-up in to the do-or-die
stage. Madhusudana Rao, Somasekhar Challa,
Vishal Karangutkar and Sanjay Murthy were in
the semifinals.
The first
semifinal saw the veteran and seasoned Madhu
take on Vishal; though the match ended up
being a 2-0 victory in favor of Madhu,
Vishal showed flashes of excellence.
Ultimately, the cool and composed Madhu
steamrolled in to the Singles finals with a
well-executed game plan.
In the
second semifinals, veteran Somasekhar Challa
was all set for a fight-to-the-finish with
Sanjay Murthy. Sekhar lost the toss and
Sanjay was first to get on the board. After
a cautious start Sanjay surged ahead to meet
Madhu in the finals.
After a
sumptuous dinner, it was time to for the
championship match. Madhu won the toss and
elected to not break. Seizing the
opportunity, Sanjay defended his break. Both
finalists went hammer-and-tong until Sanjay
sealed the match with the help of a White
Slam. This put Madhu at a decisive
disadvantage trying to catch up. The second
game was no different with Sanjay managing
to maintain the lead and just nip Madhu at
the post.
Other
players showing good form and notable names
to remember for the future are Shibu Jose
eventual winner of the Group A title, Neil
Khatu, Atul Kharecha and Shreenivas
Mallisetti.
Next day,
Sunday April 9th saw a different
variation of the game kickoff – Doubles
Championships. Eight pairs started a 3 Swiss
Round Robin league. Later in the afternoon,
4 teams qualified for the semifinals.
First up,
the spanking new team of Atul Kharecha and
Sanjay Murthy took on the effervescent
all-in-the-family duo of Mohan Begur and
Ravi Shankar. Atul and Sanjay were quick of
the blocks to eventually cruise in to the
finals.
The
second semifinal was a visual spectacle as
the traditional rivalry between two
heavyweights continued. The dynamic and
favorites to win the championship pair of
Somasekhar Challa and Vishal Karangutkar
were pitched against the ever-threatening
and smooth-operating duo of Shibu Jose and
Madhusudana Rao. After the initial heavy
blows, the favorites maintained championship
form and did not let the bookies down.
Sekhar and Vishal pulled off a straight
victory and continued their relentless march
in to yet another doubles finals.
In the
finals, Atul and Sanjay won the toss and
picked sides. Everything else was academic
as the championship pair of Sekhar and
Vishal was in simple words,
too-hot-to-handle. The first game could be
considered, only technically speaking –
competitive! The second game was, if not a
blow out, a conventionally convincing win.
The relatively inexperienced team of Atul
and Sanjay put up little to no resistance
and were appropriately shutout.
Vishal arched his
back in triumph and pumped his fists when
his forehand coin sailed in on match point
to seal the championship !!
A prelude
to the forthcoming US Nationals, the TV Asia
Cup was a successful and memorable event.
The organizers; Atul Kharecha, Hasmukh
Patel, Shreenivas Mallisetti and Sanjay
Murthy put a simple plan together and
executed it with clinical precision.
Strong performances by the
regulars and substantial improvement from
the upcoming players will make the
much-anticipated US Nationals in June this
year a must-participate event. |
