Asian Games TT: Indian men, women reach team quarters

GUANGZHOU - The Indian men’s and women’s table tennis teams stormed into the quarterfinals at the Asian Games here Sunday.

The men beat Vietnam 3-1 and are now up against Japan, while the women dispatched the Maldives 3-0 to face China in the last eight stage.

After losing to fourth-seeded Chinese Taipei Saturday, India needed to win their last group tie to stay afloat.

World No. 48 Sharath Kamal lost the third game but came back to beat Tuan Quynh Tran 13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6 to put India ahead.

In the second singles, Amalraj Anthony lost to Kien Quoc Doan 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7.

Seasoned paddler Soumyadeep Roy was expected to win the third match and he did not disappoint. He lost the opening game but came back to win the next three to seal the tie 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 against Huy Hoang Phan.

Sharath won the reverse singles against Kien Duoc 13-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6 and India were through to the next round.

In the women’s event, Mamata Prabhu, playing her first match for India here, breezed past Mueena Mohamed 11-6, 11-6, 11-7.

Madhurika Patkar, who stretched World No. 3 Fen Tianwei of Singapore to five games in a losing cause Sunday, scored an easy 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 win over Fathimath Jumana Nimal in the second singles.

Shamini Kumaresan then blanked Aminath Shiura Shareef 11-4, 11-4, 11-1 to win the tie for India.