China toy with India and end men's agony

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Indian women exit in PQF, men play China tomorrow

New Delhi, Oct 5: Without breaking a sweat, Chinese Taipei defeated India 3-0 to enter the quarterfinals of the ITTF World Championships Finals at the High-Tech Sports Centre, Chengdu, today.

Their victory in the pre-quarterfinals was in tune with Taipei's status as the World No. 7 team, based on the current ranking. And they took a little over an hour to complete the job.

Manika Batra put up a good fight in the first two games of the opening tie against Chen Szu-Yu, but the world No. 22 accounted for the Indian, ranked No. 44, 11-7, 11-9, 11-3. Sreeja Akula and the CWG gold medal winner in mixed doubles, playing the second rubber, did well to take a game off her Taipei rival, Cheng I-Ching. But the world No. 35 wrapped it up quickly to win 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9.

But Taipei was given some torrid moments when their singles player, Liu Hsing-Yin, met her match in Diya Chitale. Though the higher-ranked Taipei women began well, she started wilting when Diya took the attack to the opposition. The 122-ranked Indian, cashing in on some unforced errors by Liu, led 2-1. However, Liu made strong statements to take the last two games to see her side through to the quarterfinals.

For a squad that was ranked No. 21 before its Worlds outing, it was not a bad experience for the young Indian team that will see itself a few steps up in the ranking ladder, finishing among the top-16 teams.

The Indian men will take on China in the pre-quarterfinals tomorrow, and they have their tasks cut out against the top-seeded team, also the favourites to win the title.

Indian men enter knockout, to face China in PQF

New Delhi, Oct 4: Indian men escaped elimination from the ITTF World Championships Finals by the skin of their teeth, entering the main draw courtesy of Hong Kong and their world rankings today.

As a change of strategy, India opened with Manav Thakkar against Alexis Lebrun, ranked No. 30 in the world, and the 0-3 (6-11, 8-11, 8-11) loss straightaway pushed them on the back foot. G. Sathiyan, ranked No. 37, took on brother Felix Lebrun in the second tie. But the 86th- ranked Frenchman punched way above his weight to pummel the Indian in straight games, to win 11-4, 11-2, 11-6 and put his side 2-0 up.

Harmeet failed to withstand the pressure despite putting up a fight, but Jules Rolland (141), ranked a few places below the Indian (124), won 11-13, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7 in the gripping third rubber to give France the top-of-the-table position in their group, despite a three-way tie.

With three teams—France, Germany and India—finishing on the same points (7) with three wins and one loss each, France pitchforked itself to the top position on a head-to-head win over India. However, India's 0-3 loss enabled Germany, who beat France 3-1 yesterday, to take the second spot in the group.

Yet, a question mark was hanging before the Indians as their entry into the main draw depended on two teams as only two higher-ranked teams that finished third in their groups could have filled the two vacant slots in the top 16-team knockout. No. 12 Hong Kong sealed the second slot in Group 3 despite their 2-3 loss to Romania.

The clincher for India was Hong Kong occupying second place in the group. In another three-way tie, Romania got elbowed to the third spot, and their world ranking was four slots below India's! The last of the 16 team positions went to No. 8 England when they beat Australia 3-0 in their only win in Group 5.

Though the Indian men have captured their knockout place, they will have to accept the unkindest cut in the main draw, despite toppling Germany, the No. 2 team in the world, in their group matches. At the No. 2 slot, they will face top-seed China first up in the pre-quarterfinals. As per the notified format, India and England—the two highest-ranked third-placed teams—will occupy positions 2 or 15, respectively. Additionally, having played them in the group matches, India cannot meet France in the first round of the knockout stages.

The women paddlers qualified for the pre-quarters yesterday.

Women seal main draw berth, men inching closer

New Delhi, Oct 3: Indian men continued their winning spree as they registered a hard-fought 3-2 win over Kazakhstan, third in succession, to inch closer to claiming the top slot in Group 2 in the ITTF World Championships in Chengdu, China, today.

However, our women's squad posted their consecutive win when they beat Egypt 3-1 to seal their berth in the main draw of the championships, finishing behind Germany in Group 5 with five points.

It became a tough call until Harmeet Desai disposed of Denis Zholudev 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-6) in the decider after World No. 28 Krill Gerassimenko laboured a 6-11, 11-5, 12-14, 11-9, 11-6 triumph over G. Sathiyan, who gave India the lead in the opening tie with a 3-0 (11-1, 11-9, 11-5) win over Zholudev.

Harmeet, who lost his first singles 0-3 (6-11, 8-11, 9-11) to Gerassimenko, had to keep India in the hunt after Manav Thakkar, keeping a clean slate so far, accounted for Alan Kurmangaliyev 12-10, 11-1, 11-8 in the third singles. And the Surat man, in roaring form in recent time, did not disappoint despite getting extended in the first game.

Sathiyan, who is ranked No. 37, played brilliantly to lead 2-1 against the world No. 28. But the top Kazakh paddler first levelled the score and then went on to demolish the confidence of the Indian in the decider with a handy lead.

A win in their last group match tomorrow against France will enable the Indian men to top the group and earn them a bye as Group 2 winner (position 16). Apart from the top two finishers of the seven groups, the two highest ranked third-placed teams will qualify for the main draw to make it a 16-team knockout, going into positions 2 and 15, respectively. This would, more or less, ensure a quarterfinal entry for the Indians.

Women qualify

Sreeja Akula opened well for India in the first rubber, winning her singles 11-6, 11-4, 11-1 against Hana Goda. However, the struggle for Manika continued. The top-ranked Indian (No. 44) in the world became overcautious against Dina Meshref. The Indian lost her first game before going 2-1 up. But the unranked Egyptian caught up to level the score and took the issue to the decider. She proved her mettle in the crunch game, winning the tie 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 2-11, 11-8.

When Diya Chitale, playing the third singles, lost to Yousra Helmy 11-5, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, the pressure was back on Sreeja. But the Telangana girl beat Dina Meshref 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 to ensure India finished second in their group.

In the Indian women’s main draw, apart from the top two group qualifiers, four highest ranked third-placed teams will make it to the 16-team knockout stage. Only the six group winners will get the seeded positions with the teams placed second in groups randomly drawn. Whether India will occupy the top or the bottom half will depend on where group topper Germany will be slotted.

Men topple Germany, women beat the Czechs

New Delhi, Oct 2: Indian men posted an emphatic 3-1 win when they beat Tokyo Olympic silver medal winners Germany for their successive victory in Group 2 of the ITTF World Championships in Chengdu today.

Taking the cue and inspired by their performance, the women’s squad thrashed the Czech Republic 3-0 for their first triumph, putting their initial loss to Germany yesterday in Group 5.

G. Sathiyan, ranked 37 in the world, began the proceedings against Duda Benedikt, ranked a run above the Indian, on the wrong foot, and lost the first two games. However, he held his nerve and fought back well to take the tie 11-13, 4-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9, and gave India the advantage of a 1-0 lead.

The normally-reliable Harmeet Desai found the going tough against Qiu Dang and World no. 9, managing just a game off him. He lost 7-11, 9-11, 13-11, 3-11, giving a distinct advantage to the Germans. But Manav Thakkar, playing the third singles, had other ideas. The 142nd- ranked Indian defeated the high-ranked (No. 74) Ricardo Walther 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10.

But the onus was on Sathiyan, and coming back for his reverse singles, the Indian did not disappoint. Instead, a rejuvenated and confident Sathiyan defeated the world No. 9 paddler 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. This win, too, had a pattern to it. Like in the first tie against Benedikt, he changed his ploy and attacked when pushed to the brink. The German, unable to find his rhythm back, failed to tackle the resurgence of his opponent.

Brushing aside their loss yesterday, the Indian women began positively when Manika Batra beat Hana Matelova of the Czech Republic in the opening tie. Manika, No. 44, accounted for the World No 28, shutting out her opponent, 11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 12-10, in the fourth game at the first opportunity after deuce.

A calm and confident Sreeja Akula and the 77th-ranked Indian piled on the pressure to beat Marketa Sevcikova 11-5, 11-3, 11-8. Diya Chitale, riding on the 2-0 lead and with a boosted self-confidence after his excellent performance yesterday, was up to the task. The teenager dropped the first but recovered well to beat Katerina Tomanovska 11-13, 15-13, 12-10, 14-12 in all the extended games.

Tomorrow, our men will take on Kazakhstan, while the women will play Egypt.

Men start on a positive note, but women lose

New Delhi, Oct 1: It was a mixed feeling of opening for Team India paddlers as the men’s team posted an easy 3-0 triumph over Uzbekistan, while the women’s squad lost 2-3 to Germany in the ITTF World Championships in Chengdu today.

Drawn in the five-team Group 2, Harmeet Desai led the charge against Elmurod Kholikov, winning the opening rubber 11-9, 11-9, 11-1. G. Sathiyan followed suit with an 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 win over Abdulaziz Anorboey to put India 2-0 up before Manav Thakkar completed the task with an 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 victory over Shokhrukh Iskandar.

However, it was an inauspicious beginning for the women in Group 5. World No. 44 and star paddler Manika Batra lost the opening tie 0-3 against Han Ying, ranked No. 8, but Sreeja Akula levelled the score with a win over Nina Mittelham 11-9, 12-10, 11-7.

Young Diya Chitale, played brilliantly, to provide a 2-1 lead when she gave it all to defeat Sabine Winter 11-9 8-11 11-6 13-1. Manika, returning to the table for the reverse singles, made a strong statement to win the first game against world No. 14 Mittelham. Manika, however, could not press home the advantage and lost the next three games as the German won 11-7 6-11 7-11 8-11. Sreeja found it rather hard against Germany’s top paddler Ying, who consumed her 3-0, in the decider.

In their next round matches tomorrow, the men take on Germany and the women face off against the Czech Republic.

NAVIGATION