Soumyajit, Manika win Brazil Open titles

India celebrated a rare moment of success in international table tennis as Soumyajit Ghosh clinched the Under 21 men’s title while Manika Batra bagged the Under 21 women’s trophy at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Brazil Open at Santos.

Manika accounted for host nation’s Caroline Kumahara 11-5, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5. Ghosh defeated Benjamin Brossier of France 8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2. “I have played Caroline before this year and won the team event in the Slovak Republic,” said Manika.

“I started the match confidently and tried to play slowly as she is a strong attacking player,” added the Delhi girl. Ghosh knew Brossier would be a hard nut to crack. Though Ghosh was up to the task, the Brazilian was time and again breathing down his neck in the final, which saw fortunes fluctuating.

The Indian, however, had the measure of his rival, particularly in the decider, taking a 4-0 lead. Pumping his fist and more vocal with every point, Ghosh stayed closer to the table to finish the job in style. “I was able to win those crucial points, which made the difference in the sixth game. After that I was very confident of winning the match,” said Ghosh.