Former India No. 1 downs national champ Sourav Ghoshal in five-game thriller
Former India No. 1 downs national champ Sourav Ghoshal in five-game thriller
MUMBAI: In what may well be termed as the clash of titans, former champion Ritwick Bhattacharya beat top seed Sourav Ghoshal 11-9 5-11 4-11 11-8 12-10 to clinch his eighth PSA title at the Indian Challenger Tournament in Chennai on Saturday.
In a 65-minute long contest, Ritwick claimed the first game but went down in the following two. “I had studied Sourav’s game and knew that he would change his tactics from the second game onwards. I was expecting the change and was well-prepared for it,” Ritwick said after the match.
The Mumbai lad stepped up a gear to win the fourth game 11-8, setting up a close contest in the fifth game. After trailing 9-10 in the final moments, Ritwick bounced back to win the game 12-10, thus claiming the title. “I became more aggressive in the fourth and the fifth games. At the same time, I could see Sourav tiring out, and I knew that I just had to push harder,” Ritwick commented.
Ritwick’s record against Sourav in PSA title events is now 3-2. “I had lost to Sourav a year and a half ago at the Otter’s Club. I didn’t want to repeat my mistakes this time and I am glad I made the most of it,” Ritwick said.
Ritwick has been recovering from a knee injury since early this year, and conceded that he would be fully fit by the beginning of the next year. The injury forced him to change a few aspects of his game. “I have become more economical with my movement and that helps me cover the court with greater ease. I have also learnt to work my weight through the ball. My coaches Amit Chinai and Amir Wagih have helped me work on my swing too,” he said.
Ritwick will now head for the Super Series Platinum Tournament in Hong Kong that begins on November 17. He will play the qualifiers there. His previous stint at the event ended in a first round loss to the second seed. Ritwick hopes for a better performance this time around.
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