Fayez Hoda, Pune
The Indian women’s team lost to Japan 1-3 in a close semifinal match of the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana. However, the tightness and intensity of the contests are not well reflected in the score. India fought bravely, losing two of their three games that were incredibly close and had the potential to go either way.
Manika Batra was India’s standout performer as she defeated Japan’s World No. 17 player Satsuki Odo in straight sets to record the team’s lone victory. After losing her opening match in a thrilling 3-2 decision against Japan’s top player, World No. 7 Miwa Harimoto, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 7-11, Ayhika Mukherjee’s triumph put India back in the running. In her quarterfinal matches against Korea, Mukherjee overcame World No. 8 Shin Yubin and World No. 16 Jeon Jihee, demonstrating her strength in earlier rounds.
With these wins, India won its first-ever medal at the Asian Championships, and she was expected to do well against Japan, the No. 2 team in the world, in the semifinal. In the final game of her match against Harimoto, Mukherjee had a big lead, but she couldn’t keep it, and Japan eventually took the lead.
India fielded World No. 89 Sutirtha Mukherjee in instead of their top player, World No. 26 Sreeja Akula, in a tactical move that caused considerable controversy. Returning after a six-week injury, Akula was renowned for her unusual pimpled rubber style that frequently caused problems for players ranked higher. Some questioned the choice to sit her at such a crucial moment, considering her ability to have an impact. But Sutirtha faltered against Mima Ito, losing in straight sets, thus the Indian team had to rely on Manika Batra to salvage something.
In her second bout, Batra made her way back to take on the powerful Harimoto. Batra tried a variety of offensive tactics, but Harimoto’s counterattacks were too formidable, and she only managed to win one game. India’s remarkable tournament run came to an end when she lost 1-3 (3-11, 11-6, 2-11, 3-11). This allowed Japan to move on to the final.
Indian men’s team has confirmed that they will medal in the men’s team event for the third time in a row.