Table Tennis
Tokyo Olympics: Sutirtha Mukherjee shown the door by 42-year-old opponent
World No. 98 Sutirtha Mukherjee fails to overcome Portugal's World No. 55 veteran Fu Yu in Round 2 of Women's Singles at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sutirtha Mukherjee (Source: India Today)
After her dream start in the first round of the Women's singles category, Sutirtha Mukherjee would have liked to continue the form and join Manika Batra in the 3rd round but unfortunately for her, it wasn't to be as she bowed out to the World No. 55, Fu Yu from Portugal in straight sets, 3-11, 3-11, 5-11, 5-11.
India as usual started off with a loss in the first game. Sutirtha seemed to be unsettled as she made several errors on return and lost the game within 5 minutes. Fu Yu took the set 11-3.
Sutirtha looked to have found some momentum in the second game but that was only for some moment as she had no answer to the class and experience of the 42 year old experienced campaigner, Fu Yu. The Chinese-Portugueese taking the game with a scoreline replicating the first game, 3-11.
The match seemed to have slipped away from the Indian's hands as the third game was no different than the previous two. Sutirtha had no answer and seemed puzzled, out in the middle. Fu Yu proved to be too good for the Olympic debutant as the seasoned campaigner made light work of the Indian and took the game, 11-5.
The next game was meant for formality as Fu Yu blasted past the Indian and recorded a 11-5 win to claim the game and the match to end Sutirtha's hopes of a medal.
Certainly, Sutirtha Mukherjee would have gained a massive learning experience here at the Tokyo Olympics and would like to take that into her stride and come back stronger.
