Tanvi wins cliffhanger for maiden crown

Velavan cruises to the men’s title beating Abhishek Pradhan

Sunayna Kuruvilla and Tanvi Khanna, two of India’s best players after Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal, produced a top-class performance in the women’s final that brought the curtains down on the HCL-SRFI Indian squash tour tournament, a PSA Challenger-10 event, at the ISA courts here on Thursday. Second seed Tanvi saved three match-points to outlast top-seeded Sunayna 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 15-13 in the women’s final. However, it was an anti-climax in the men’s summit clash as fourth-seeded S. Velavan drubbed Abhishek Pradhan, seeded six, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5. Tanvi and Sunayna played a tactical match that was engaging and entertaining. In the first game, Tanvi raked up an 8-3 lead with some delectable drops and strong play from the backcourt and never looked back.