WTT Grand Smash Singapore 2022: Manika Batra-Archana Kamath make doubles quarters
The Indian pair will face two-time world championships silver medallists, Hina Hayata and Mima Ito of Japan, next. G Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal’s campaign ended.
Indian table tennis player Manika Batra and her women’s doubles partner Archana Kamath advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTT Grand Smash Singapore 2022 on Monday.
Manika Batra and Archana Kamath, who got a bye in the round of 32, beat Singapore’s Goi Rui Xuan and Wong Xin Ru 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5) in the round of 16. Their final-eight clash will be against Japanese second seeds Hina Hayata and Mima Ito, a two-time world championships silver medal-winning team.
Manika Batra’s mixed doubles campaign, however, ended after she and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-6) at the Singapore Sports Hub.
Lin and Cheng are the bronze medallists from the Tokyo Olympics and the top-seeded mixed doubles pair at the Singapore meet.
India’s men’s doubles hope G Stahiyan and Sharath Kamal couldn’t fare much better against South Korean second seeds Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon, the men’s doubles silver medallists from the world championships 2021.
The Indian table tennis players lost their second round match 3-0 (7-11, 7-11, 6-11) and crashed out.
G Sathiyan also bowed out of the men’s singles competition following a 3-1 (3-11, 11-5, 8-11, 4-11) loss to South Korean player Lim Jonghoon.
Monday’s results mean Manika Batra and Archana Kamath, in women’s doubles, are the only remaining Indian table tennis players alive in the inaugural Grand Smash competition.