Manika-Archana pair keeps Indian hopes alive

 

 

New Delhi, February 14: Even as G. Sathiyan capitulated in the men’s singles of Round 32 against South Korean Lim Jonghoon in the ongoing $ 2 million Singapore Smash 2022 on Monday, home came in the form of a hard-fought win by the women’s doubles pair of Manika Batra and Archana Kamath.

 

The Indian women’s doubles duo defeated Singapore’s Goi Rui Xuan and Wong Xin Ru 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5 to enter the quarterfinals.

 

World No. 33 Sathiyan lost to No. 59-ranked Lim 3-11, 11-5, 8-11, 4-11. Sathiyan, arguably a far better player than the Korean, managing to win just one game must have surprised the paddler himself. After a bad opening, the Indian did well to run his opponent through in the second game. But the Korean came back strong in the third to go 2-1 up and mounted pressure on Sathiyan, who eventually wilted in the fourth game without a fight.

 

However, the Indian women posted a contrasting win half an hour before Sathiyan’s loss. In the see-saw match, the higher-ranked Indian pair (No. 6) also came under immense pressure but survived to stay in the hunt despite the pendulum of fortune kept swinging from one end to another. Once the issue came to the crunch, Manika and Archana combined so perfectly, winning the decisive game.

 

In the quarterfinals, they will take on the winners of the match between Japanese Hina Hayata and Mima Ito and Hana Matelova and Barbora Balazova of the Czech Republic.

 

Earlier during the day, G. Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal, failing to come to terms with the World No. 2 South Korean pair of Lim Jonghoon and Jong Woojin, lost 7-11, 7-11, 8-11 in the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s doubles. The Indian pair, ranked No. 31, did put up some resistance but it proved not good enough against a regular Korean duo.

 

The Sathiyan-Manika Batra also met the same fate as their challenge against the top-seeded mixed pair of Cheng-I-Ching and Lin Yun-Ju from Taipei came to a nought when the Indian went down 8-11, 3-11, 6-11, also in the pre-quarterfinals.

 

The Taipei duo took some time to warm itself up, as was evident in the first game. But, once they did, the paddlers disposed of Sathiyan and Manika in quick time, allowing mere nine points to the 10th-ranked pair in the next two games.