Table Tennis
WTT Contender Doha: Manika-Sathiyan storm into finals, Sharath Kamal enters quarters
Mixed doubles pair of Manika Batra-Sathiyan Gnanasekaran ousted World No. 4 duo in semis while Sharath Kamal moved into singles quarters at the WTT Contender Doha.
Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
Star Indian paddlers Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran kept their run going strong at the ongoing WTT Contender Doha 2022, sailing into the finals of the Mixed Doubles event.
Defeating the World No. 4 pair from Hong Kong, Wong Chun Ting - Doo Hoi Kem, the World No. 7 duo from India, won the match with a thrilling, 3-2 (13-11,9-11,11-9,8-11,11-8) finish and secured at least a silver medal for India.
Into the finals now, Manika and Sathiyan will have a tough nut to crack as they will be going up against the World No. 1 duo of Cheng I-Ching and Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei, who make for really formidable opponents.
On the other hand, veteran Indian paddler Sharath Kamal also staved off a threat from Korea's Lim Jonghoon to book his place in the Men's Singles quarter-finals, winning a difficult encounter, 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 6-11, 16-14).
The World No. 34 paddler will be vying to secure a medal as he will take on Croatia's Tomislav Pucar, the World No. 40, for a place in the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha event.
