Maharashtra closed squash championship: Unseeded Sareen upsets first and third seeds on same day to make it to final

Sixteen-year-old Sareen began the day facing the 3/4th seed Niraj Kabra (Mumbai) as the underdog, but despite playing someone three years his senior, the city boy dispatched off his opponent with ease.

The unseeded Arnaav Sareen’s decision to play in an older age group (u-19) has reaped dividends as he managed to make it to the finals of the Maharashtra Squash Rackets Association’s (MSRA) 1st Maharashtra closed squash championship 2019 at iSquash Academy courts, Mundhwa, on Saturday.

Arnaav Sareen (white) and Niraj Kabra in action during the first Maharashtra closed squash championship at iSquash Academy courts, Mundhwa, on Saturday.(SHANKAR NARAYAN/HT PHOTO)

Sixteen-year-old Sareen began the day facing the 3/4th seed Niraj Kabra (Mumbai) as the underdog, but despite playing someone three years his senior, the city boy dispatched off his opponent with ease.

Within a few minutes, he raced to a seven-point lead in the first game and quickly wrapped it up 11-2 after a little under 10 times.

The second and third games followed suit as Kabra tried everything to tire his opponent, but Sareen’s experience of playing in a number of international tournaments propelled him over the line.

Later in the day, Sareen continued in his giant-killing run when he knocked out first-seed Araash Mehta 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 to set up a final clash with the second-seeded Advait Adik who beat Arjun Singh 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 in the semi-finals.