Revati stuns top seed Rasika; Mumbai's Karishma triumphs

NAGPUR: Pune shuttler Revati Deosthali thwarted Rasika Raje's bid to win double crown with an upset win in the U-19 girls singles on the concluding day of the Premlatai Chavan memorial first Maharashtra Junior State Selection Badminton tournament at Karad on Monday.
Top seed Rasika, a trainee of Pullela Gopichand Academy, was expected to sweep U-19 titles but she managed to win only doubles.Third seed Revati came up with an inspired performance to shock Nagpur southpaw Rasika 21-19, 22-20.
In a tense U-19 singles final, Rasika was leading in both the games but could not capitalize on her lead.
However, Rasika settled the scores later by defeating Revati in the doubles. Top seeds Rasika and her Greater Mumbai partner Ahilya Harjani pipped the duo of Revati and Vallari Bukane in a thrilling three-game final.
Nagpur's Mrunmayi Saoji and Ahilya lived up to their top billing by annexing the U-17 girls doubles crown. Mrunmayi-Ahilya thrashed Pune's Aditi Kale-Riya Jail 21-13, 21-11 in a one-sided title clash.
In an all-Mumbai Suburban U-17 girls singles final, top seed Karishma Wadkar downed fourth seed Cherish D'Souza.
Results (All finals):
(Singles)
U-17 girls: 1-Karishma Wadkar (MS) bt 4-Cherish D'Souza 21-11, 21-17 (MS).
U-19 girls: 3-Revati Deosthali (PN) bt 1-Rasika Raje (NGP) 21-19, 22-20.
U-17 boys: 1-Chirag Shetty (MS) bt 4-Arya Bhivpathaki (PN) 21-15, 21-14.
U-19 boys: 8-Vighnesh Devlekar (TH) bt 3-Chirag Shetty (MS) 21-19, 21-18.
(Doubles)
U-17 girls: 1-Mrunmayi Saoji (NGP)-Ahilya Harjani (GM) bt Aditi Kale-Riya Jail (PN) 21-13, 21-11.
U-19 girls: 1-Rasika Raje (NGP)-Ahilya Harjani (GM) bt Revati Deosthali (PN)-Vallari Bukane (TH) 21-19, 12-21, 21-13.
U-17 boys: 1-Nihar Kelkar-Pauras Kulkarni (TH) bt 3-Atharva Shinde (TH)-Sai Dinesh Reddy (MS) 25-23, 21-12.
U-19 boys: 2-Kabir Kanzarkar-Vighnesh Devlekar (TH) bt 1-Likith Bangera-Sushrut Karmarkar (MS) 21-14, 22-20.