Duo Manika Batra and Archana Kamath to the semifinals
A duo of female couples Manika Batra in Archana Kamath shot a thriller beat French duo Lucie Gauthier and Audrey Zarif. The final score was 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6) in the match of the last eight mixed doubles matches.
The Indian table tennis duo made it to the semifinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender Laško (Slovenia) on Friday.
Meanwhile, Archana Kamath next Manav Thakkar defeated Qian Yang and Dillon Chambers of Australia in direct games. The result was 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4) in mixed doubles and thus secured a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing tournament.
It was a big blow when Wang Chuqin and Wang Yidi from China defeated Indian duo G. Sathiyan and Manika Batra in sets. In the mixed doubles round of 16, the score was 14-12, 11-0, 11-6.
Manika Batra and other Indian rowers perform at the Laško World Table Tennis Competition
Veteran Indian rower Sharath Kamal lost to Japan’s Yuta Kizukuri 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2. The clash took place in the round of 16.
Ace rower Sathiyan Gnanasekaran won the men’s singles 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9) against Albert Min of Ecuador.
S. Snehit and Jeet Chandra battled Robin Devos and Florent Lambiet of Belgium 11-4, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8 in the men’s quarterfinals.
Another excitement for the Indian duo was Sharath Kamal and Manav Thakkar fell in a fight against the French duo of Vincent Picard and Bastian Rembert. The score was 11-8, 11-6, 11-8.
The best Indian rower Manika Batra made it to the round of 16 by beating Slovakia’s Tatiana Kukulkova in the women’s singles. The competition was held in a close fight with the result 11-8, 11-4, 15-17, 6-11, 15-13.
17-year-old Archana Kamath lost 1-3 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 14-12) to Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova in the round of 16 match. The other Indian to be eliminated in the round of 16 is Sreeja Akula. Sreeja battled Russia’s Yana Naskova in five sets with 11-9, 7-11, 13-11, 2-11, 11-9.
Meanwhile, female duos Archana Kamath and Manika Batra expelled Elizabeth Abraamian and Yana Naskova from Russia. The final score was 11-8, 11-3, 11-4.
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