Hangzhou Asian Games

Asian Games: Sutirtha & Ayhika stun world champions, assure historic medal for India

Hangzhou: Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee shocked world champion Chinese pair Chen Meng and Yidi Wang to enter the women's doubles semifinals, assuring India a historic table tennis medal at the Asian Games here on Saturday.

In the quarterfinals, Sutirtha and Ayhika won 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 and the victory over World No. 2 Chinese duo is all the more significant because India have never won a medal in the women's doubles event in the Asian Games.

The Indian players never allowed their superior opponents to settle down right from the start.

The Chinese duo was expected to roll over its opponents, and it happened precisely the opposite, as the Indians won the first game in just eight minutes.

The trend followed in the second game too, as the Indians wrapped it in just nine minutes as the Chinese players committed several unforced errors, particularly on the forehand.

The home side players mounted a brief fightback, winning the third game.

But the Indians regrouped quickly to assert themselves in the fourth game.

The epic winning moment came when Meng sprayed her forehand into the net.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra produced an error-filled game to make an early exit in the quarterfinals of the women's singles.

Manika went down to world No. 4 Yidi Wang of China 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 4-11, 14-12, 5-11 and her defeat also marked the end of India's campaign in the singles event at the Hangzhou Games.

The ace Indian paddler lost the first game 8-11, as she showed a distinct weakness on her backhand.

Even when she won the second and fifth games, it was more about the Chinese player making unforced errors in her eagerness to close out the points.

The classic example came in the fifth game when the Chinese sprayed an easy forehand while leading 11-10, which allowed Manika to claw back.

But in the sixth game, Wang regained her focus and peppered Manika's backhand with powerful shots that the latter failed to reply properly.

Manika tried to fight back with a couple of powerful forehands but Wang's astonishing retrieving ability left the Indian frustrated.

Fittingly, a backhand error from Manika that brought the match to an end.

Wang's laser-guided forehand found Manika fumbling as her backhand return sailed well wide of the table.

Earlier, India's men's double pair of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar also bowed out in the quarterfinals.

They were beaten by South Korean pair Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim 8-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11.