Asian Games Table Tennis: Ayhika-Sutirtha pair advances to Round of 16, mixed day for others

Indian table tennis contingent at the 19th Asian Games has had a mixed day across the categories. In the women's doubles category, Mukherjee sisters of Naihati - Ayhika and Sutirtha - Sreeja Akula and Diya Chitale secured commanding victories.

In singles, Sreeja Akula lost while Manika Batra advanced to the Round of 16.

However, mixed doubles proved to be a challenging arena, with Indian pairs narrowly missing victory in closely contested battles.

On the singles front, Sreeja faced a formidable opponent in North Korea's Songgyong Pyon, while Manika Bhatra showcased her dominance. In men's doubles, our athletes have secured impressive wins, while Achanta Sharath Kamal shone brightly in the men's singles category.

Let's take a look at the comprehensive roundup of India's table tennis results at the Asian Games on Thursday.

Women's Doubles

Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee have advanced to the round of 16 in the women's doubles category after a stunning victory over Kazakhstan's Zauresh Akasheva and Lavrova Anastassiya. The Indian duo showcased their dominance from the very beginning, securing a 3-0 victory with impressive scorelines of 11-7, 11-4, and 11-7.

The action-packed day for Indian table tennis continued with another remarkable performance from the pair of Sreeja Akula and Diya Chitale. They too secured a spot in the round of 16 by defeating Vietnam's Tran Mai Ngoc and Nguyen Thi Nga in a 3-0 victory. The first game concluded with a score of 11-8, followed by a nail-biting 15-13 victory in the second game. The third game was a swift affair, wrapping up in just seven minutes with a scoreline of 11-6.

Mixed Doubles

Moving into the mixed doubles category, India's day began with a gripping match featuring Gnanasekaran Sathiyan and Manika Batra against Singapore's Zhe yu Clarence and Zeng Jian. Despite putting up a strong fight, the Indian pair narrowly lost 2-3, with the scoreline reading 11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 10-12 3-11. Harmeet Desai and Sreeja Akula also faced a tough challenge and ultimately lost to Thailand’s Phakpoom Sanguansin and Orawan Paranang 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 12-10).

Women's Singles

In the women's singles category, Sreeja Akula experienced a setback in the round of 32, facing a formidable opponent from DPR Korea, Songgyong Pyon. The match ended with a 4-0 victory for Pyon, with a scoreline of 6-11, 4-11, 13-15, and 9-11. However, there was a silver lining as Manika Bhatra managed to secure a convincing 4-0 victory over Nepal's Nabiya Shrestha, with scorelines of 11-5, 11-4, 11-3, and 11-2 in the same round.

Men's Doubles

Shifting our focus to the men's doubles category, Manush Utpalbhai and Manav Vikash represented India in a closely contested match against Maldives's Moosa Munsif and Mohammed Shaffan. The Indian duo emerged victorious with a 3-1 win, featuring scorelines of 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, and 11-2. Following suit, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan faced off against Mongolia's Ser-od and Munkh Ochir Manlaijargal, securing an impressive 3-0 victory with scorelines of 11-5, 11-3, and 11-3.

Men's Singles

In the men's singles category, Achanta Sharath Kamal continued to shine as he defeated Maldives' Mohammed Shaffan in a convincing 4-0 victory, with scorelines of 11-9, 11-2, 11-7, and 11-7.