Sreeja Akula makes history with first-ever Singles Title at WTT Contender

Sreeja Akula has become the first player from India to clinch a singles title at a World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender event, on Sunday.

In the thrilling final held in Lagos, Nigeria, Sreeja triumphed over China's Ding Yijie with a score of 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6.

Sreeja's journey to the title was marked by exceptional performances. She had reached the finals in both women's singles and women's doubles categories. This historic win not only earned her the title but also made her the first Indian to advance to a WTT Contender final in the singles category.

In the semi-finals, Sreeja defeated compatriot Sutirtha Mukherjee in a close match, securing her place in the final with a 3-2 victory. In the other semi-final, Ayhika Mukherjee narrowly lost to Ding Yijie 2-3, setting up the climactic clash between Sreeja and Ding.

Earlier in the day, Sreeja and her partner Archana Girish Kamath emerged victorious in the women's doubles final. The Olympic-bound duo dominated the all-Indian final against Yashaswini Ghorpade and Diya Parag Chitale, winning in straight sets with scores of 11-9, 11-6, and 12-10.

The women's doubles semi-finals saw Sreeja and Archana overpowering Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee with a convincing 3-0 victory. Diya and Yashaswini advanced to the finals by defeating China's Sun Sinan and Ding Yijie 3-1.