Star Indian paddlers Manika Batra, Achanta Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan dominated their opponents en route their pre-quarterfinals entry in the table tennis competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Thursday. Sharath, a team bronze winner in 2018 Asian Games, never gave a chance to Mohammed Shaffan Ismail, his opponent from Maldives before winning 11-9, 11-2, 11-7, 11-7. (Medal Tally | Schedule | Streaming | Full Coverage | More Sports News)
Sathiyan, who had won a bronze medal in the team event in Jakarta Games 2018, too was equally overwhelming against Turki Lafi Almutairi of Saudཧi Arabia while registering a 11-5, 11-6, 11-9, 11-2 victory.
The Saudi pl𓆉ayer tried to cla🥀w his way back in the third set going closer to the Indian at 9-7, but Sathiyan’s experience proved at the crucial juncture.
In the fourth gameꦇ, Sathiyan just brushed aside his rival giving away just two points.
Manika, a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a bronze winner in mixed doubles at the Jakarta Asian Games, bl💯anked Nabita Shresthta of Nep༺al 4-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-3, 11-2) in just 20 minutes to set up a clash with Thailand's Suthasini Sawettabut.
However, Sreeja Akula faced a humiliating defeat to North Korea's Songgyong Pyon 0ꦓ-4 (6-11, 4-11, 13-15, 9-11) to bow out of the competition.
India fared better in 𓆏the women’s doubles. Sreeja and Diya Chitale defeated Vietnam’s Ng🐓oc Tran Mai and Nga Nguyen Thi 3-0 (11-8, 15-13, 11-6).
Sutir✃tha Mukherjee teamed up with Ayhika Mukherjee to seal their place in the pre-quarters after defeating Kazakhstan 3-0.
Sutirtha and Ayhika moved past Anastassiya Lavrova and Za𝐆uresh Akasheva 11-ꦅ7, 11-4, 11-7.
In the men's doubles, Indian duo of Manav Vikash Thakkar and Manush Utpalbhai Shah defe🏅ated Mohamed Shaffan Ismail and Moosa Munsif Ahmed of the Maldives 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2) to enter the round of☂ 16.
Another Indian pair Sathiyan and Sharath outplayed Mangolian combination of Ser-Od Gankhuyag and Manlaijargal Munkh-Ochir 3-0 (11-5, ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ11-3, 11-3) in just 13 minutes.
However, India's mixed pair of Sathiyan and Manika failed to control their nerves at the last moment, losing against Zhe Yu Clarence Chew and Jian Zeng of Singapore 2-3 (11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 10-12, 3-11) in a close pre-quarterfinals clash at tꦑhe Gongshu Canal Sports Park.
The other mixed pair, Sreeja and Harmeet Desai also bowed out of the Games losing 0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 10-12) to Orawan Paranang and 💃Ph♉akpoom Sanguansin of Thailand.
