Asian Games
Asian Games: Indian men's & women's table tennis teams advance to knockouts with 3-0 wins
Indian men's and women's table tennis teams overwhelmed Tajikistan and Nepal in their final group stage ties as they advanced to the Round of 16.
![Asian Games: Indian mens & womens table tennis teams advance to knockouts with 3-0 wins Asian Games: Indian mens & womens table tennis teams advance to knockouts with 3-0 wins](https://thebridge.in/h-upload/2023/09/23/50130-india-men-1.webp)
India men's table tennis team after winning their matches against Tajikistan. (Photo credit: SAI Media)
Indian men's and women's table tennis teams advanced to the Round of 16 as the group toppers following their identical 3-0 win over Nepal and Tajikistan in their respective Pool F ties on Saturday.
Following their win over Yemen and Singapore on Friday, the Indian men's team, the bronze medallist of the 2018 Asian Games, made a quick work of Tajikistan to secure an entry into the knockouts.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Achanta Sharath Kamal were rested.
Opening the contest, Manav Thakkar got the better of Mahmudov Afzalkhon 3-0.
In the first game, a topsy turve action followed, with Manav getting off to a blitzkreig start with a 9-8 lead before taking 1-0 lead in the match at 11-8.
Manav, with his wristy flicks and spins, overwhelmed Mahmudov in the second game 11-5. In the third game too, Manav, the world no. 86, broke away to a 10-7 from 7-7. He wrapped the match at 11-8.
With India leading 1-0 in the tie, young Manush Shah survived a scare against Ubaydullo Sultonov.
The 18-year-old Indian trailed 5-7 in the first game and then 7-9. Despite lacking exprience, Manush held on to his nerves to force a deuce and won the game 13-11.
In the second game, Manush made a slow start to draw level at 5-5 befoe unleashing a brilliant spin to gain a 7-5 lead. He would quickly earn four points to win the game 11-8.
The Gujarat paddler broke away to a 6-3 lead in the third game and handed Sultonov a 11-5 defeat. With this win, India too a 2-0 lead in the contest.
Harmeet Desai, the top-ranked men's singles player in India at world no. 69, made it 3-0 cleansweep for India with a 14-minute win over Ibrokhim Ismoilzoda.
Dominating the match from the word go, Harmeet registered a comfortable 11-1, 11-3, 11-5 win to take India through to the Round of 16.
Women's team overwhelms Nepal
Earlier, Diya Chitale, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee won their second Pool F contest against Nepal in identical fashion.
With Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula resting, Diya opened the contest for India women with an 11-1, 11-6, 11-8 win over Sikka Shrestha.
Ayhika would school Nabita Shrestha with a 15-minute win in the following match. The Indian's anti-spin rubber and deceptions kept the Nepalese paddler guessing throughout the contest. Ayhika would eventually win 11-3, 11-7, 11-2.
Sutirtha would complete the thrashing of Nepal in 14 minutes in the third match as she beat Evana Thapa Magar 11-1, 11-5, 11-2.