The maiden National singles title in her career, a 11-5, 11-1 win over D Swetha (Air-India) could not have come at a better time for Meenakshi. She had to be her best shape, physically and mentally too. This being the last year in the junior level, she was that determined to give her best shot.

In what turned out to be the Railways championship (six titles in all), Thomas Kurien too became a new junior boys champion, prevailing over Air-India's Chetan Anand 15-9, 15-12.

Meenakshi put the early seeds of doubt in Swetha's mind, picking the bird early and shuffling Swetha. That was part of the game plan, as Meenakshi was to admit later. The mobility factor also helped Meenakshi hold sway at the net. She looked for the half chances to sink in the drops and did with relish findingSwetha's resigned ways.

Swetha's ally is her sliced drives on either flank. With that long reach of hers there was no mistaking the fluidity of her strokes. Aware that the onus was on her to create the openings and look for the placments, she had to take more chances than she would have against a lesser opponent.

Once Meenakshi broke free from 2-2 to 9-2, she rubbed it on Swetha, who looked short of ideas if not in class. There were cheers all round when Swetha got her first point after the damage of nine in game two.

The junior boys final had all the trappings of a good contest. The expectations were on a high with two future hopefuls up against each other. Chetan Anand was the favourite, seeding wise and also carrying the tag of one who could make a mockery of a contest, on his day.

Thomas Kurien ensured that no such thing happened today. Ever a cool customer in the face of adversity, that trait helped him wriggle out from a tight spot in the second game. Down 7-11 and finding Chetan employing thestrong-arm tactics, Thomas did what his instincts must have told him so. He slowed down the pace, angled his returns deep down and possibly hoped for the best.

A charged-up Chetan, that little anxious to knot up the match, allowed the pressure to creep in. Once even at 11, Thomas apparently knew that he had done damage in Chetan's mind. Call it percentage play or having smelled the win, Thomas was in no mood to yield an inch.

Thomas, who is ranked in the top 16 in the senior category, lost no time in attributing the triumph to the coaching at the BPL Academy.

In the morning, Meenakshi partnered Parul Priyadarshini to put it across Devi Suma-Fathima Mohamed (Kerala) 15-5, 16-17, 15-5 in the girls doubles final. In company of Arup Baidya, she claimed the mixed doubles title at the expense of the Air-India pair of Ketaki Thakkar and Mithesh Hazarnis, 15-6, 15-3.

In the only title, which eluded Railways grasp, Sanave Thomas and V Diju (Kerala) outrallied Air-India's combinatin of Chetan Anand and MiteshHazarnis 15-7, 15-6 for the junior boys doubles title.