Ace Indian paddler Manika Batra moved to the quarterfinals of the
women’s table tennis competition at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou on
Friday.
She beat Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut by 4-2 (11-7, 6-11, 12-10,
11-13, 12-10, 11-6) in her round of 16 match-up. After the first four thrilling
sets which made the scoreline level at 2-2, Batra beat Suthasini in the next
two sets to secure the win.
As per the Olympics.com, she has become the first-ever Indian
singles player to make it to the QFs of the Asian Games in table tennis. She
will be playing Wang Yidi for a spot in the final four and an assured medal.
On the other hand, in the men’s competition, veteran Achanta
Sharath Kamal-Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manush Utpalbhai Shah and Manav Vikash
Thakkar had contrasting results in their round of 16 matches.
While Achanta-Sathiya lost to Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin of China
by 0-3 (5-11, 4-11, 7-11), Manush and Manav secured a tight fought 3-2 (3-11,
11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8) over Singapore’s Yew En Koen Pang and Izaac Quek Yong.
Their next battle will be against top seeds Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim in
quarters.
Sreeja Akula-Diya Chitale and Suthirtha Mukherjee-Ayhika Mukherjee
will play their respective round of 16 women’s doubles matches later today.
Sathiyan and Achanta will play their respective round of 16 matches in the men’s
singles competition.
The 10-member Indian table tennis squad, led by Sharat Kamal and
Manika Batra, started its Hangzhou campaign from September 22 and table tennis
competitions will conclude on October 2.
Indian table tennis squad:
Men’s team
Sharath Kamal, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manush
Shah
Women’s team
Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Sutirtha Murkherjee, Ayhika Mukherjee,
Diya Chitale
Men’s singles
Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
Women singles
Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula
Men’s doubles
Sharath Kamal/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manav Thakkar/Manush Shah
Women’s doubles
Sutirtha Mukherjee/Ayhika Mukherjee and Sreeja Akula/Diya Chitale
Mixed doubles
Manika Batra/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Sreeja Akula/Harmeet Desai
Men’s reserves
SFR Snehit, Sanil Shetty
Women’s reserves
Archana Kamath, Reeth Rishya.
ANI
