Table Tennis
Indian campaign ends as Sreeja Akula exits in R16 of WTT Star Contender Doha
Sreeja Akula lost her R16 match to Qian Tianyi of China.
Sreeja Akula. (Photo Credit: Screengrab/JioCinema)
India's no.1 women's singles player, Sreeja Akula, bowed out of the WTT Star Contender Doha in the round of 16, ending the Indian campaign in the first major tournament of the year on Friday.
Akula was the lone Indian paddler standing in the competition. Her run ended with a straight games (9-11, 8-11, 4-11) defeat to the fifth-seeded Chinese paddler Qian Tianyi in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals.
Akula had a good start to the match and was leading 9-7 in the final minutes of the opening game, but then Qian won four points on the trot to clinch the first game11-9.
After this early breakthrough, Qian didn't look back and maintained her constant lead in the second and third games to book her spot in the quarter-finals.
What's Next?
The Indian paddlers will continue their journey in the Middle East with the WTT Contender event in Muscat, Oman, scheduled from January 12th to 17th next week.
Indian men's doubles pair of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah will be the second-seeded pair, while Akula will be the sixth-seed in the competition.
