Table Tennis
WTT Star Contender Goa: Sutirtha Mukherjee upsets World No. 18
The Indian paddler defeated France's Jia Nan Yuan in the Round of 32 match.
Sutirtha Mukherjee (Source: India Today)
Indian paddler Sutirtha Mukherjee staged an upset after beating World No. 18 Jia Nan Yuan in the Women's Singles Round of 32 match at the ongoing WTT Star Contender in Goa.
147th ranked Mukherjee pulled off an amazing victory in front of a home crowd after clinching a 3-0 win against the much higher ranked Jia. It was a straight-sets win as the score line read 11-7, 11-8, 11-7.
However, this isn't the first time Sutirtha defeated a player ranked higher than her. During the qualifying rounds of the tournament, she eased past compatritot Prapti Sen in the first round before meeting 92nd ranked Li Yu-Jhun of Chinese Taipei.
Mukherjee comfortably won against Li as well in straight sets (11-9, 11-8, 11-6). Next, the Indian faced South Korean Lee Eunhye, ranked 110th, and defeated her 3-1. In the Round of 64 match, the 27-year-old beat fellow Indian Suhana Saini, a 17-year-old talent, 3-1 as well.
Mukherjee is set to meet World No. 19 Fu Yu of Portugal in the Round of 16 match.
