Men’s TT team assured of historic medal

G Sathiyan won two matches while veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal won one as it ousted Japan, the last edition’s bronze medalist. World No.39 Sathiyan Gnanasekaran beat World No. 19 Kenta Matsudaira 3-1 (12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4) in the fourth match to secure a passage in the semi-finals and assure India of at least a bronze medal.

It was Sathiyan who gave India a good start, beating Jin Ueda. Sharath Kamal then defeated Kenta Matsudaira 11-8, 12-10, 11-8 to take a 2-0 lead. 

Japan then stretched India to the fourth match after Masaki Yoshida beat Harmeet Desai 9-11, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4. Meanwhile, the Indian women’s table tennis team lost to Hong Kong 1-3 in the quarter-finals. Manika Batra gave India a good start beating Ho Ching Lee but Ayhika Mukherjee lost her match to Hoi Kem Doo, while Mouma Das suffered a reversal at the hands of Wai Yam Minnie.