World TT C’ships Finals – Ayhika, Sathiyan move on to the next round; Manika and Sharath bow out

Houston (USA), Nov 24, : .

India paddlers Sathiyan Ganasekaran & Ayhika Mokherjee advanced to round 2, while Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra were eliminated from the tournament on the first day of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships FinalsG Sathiyan, Tokyo Olympian, defeated Yaroslav Zhmudenko, Ukraine, 4-0 (11-2), 11-9, 11-4 and 11-3) in the men’s singles round of 128 on Tuesday.

This set up a clash with Vladimir Sidorenko, Table Tennis Federation of Russia, in the round of 64.The remaining three Indian mens singles players, Sharath Kamal and Anthony Amalraj, lost their first round matches.The four-time Olympian was defeated by Cedric Nuytinck of Belgium 1-4 (11-9), 5-11, 6-11 and 7-11; 9-11), while Harmeet Dasai was beaten 4-0 (9-11), 7-11.7-11.7-11.4-11) by Benedikt Duda of Germany.In a contest for veterans, Amalraj, 35, went down to Nigerias 41-year-old Bode Abiodun 3-4 (6-11.11-5.11-5, 8-11.12-10, 9-11.11, 6-11).Both Indians Tokyo Olympians Sutirtha Mokherjee and Manika Batra, were disappointed in the womens singles.

Batra, India’s top-ranked womens player went down 3-4 to Bruna Takahashi, a young Brazilian.Sutirtha Mokherjee was defeated 1-4 by South Koreans Choi Hyojoo (11-8), 4-11, 5-11 and 0-11, 0-11 and 4-11).

Indias Madhurika patkar was also defeated by Saki Shibata (0-4 (7-11), 4-11, 3-11 and 8-11).Youngster Ayhika Mokherjee was Indias only winner in the womens singles.She defeated Farah Abdel Aziz of Egypt 4-2 (11-7.14-16.8-11.11, 11-6.11-9.11-6.11-6.11-9.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-9.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-6.11-9, 11-9.Ayhika will now play Hina Hayata from Japan, who is currently the world No 18 in round 64.Sharath Kamal, Archana Kamath, and Katia Kessaci beat them 3-0 in mixed doubles (11-7, 11-6 and 11-7).In the 64th round, Manika Batra and Sathiyan Ganasekaran, an Indian mixed doubles team, were byes.

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