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The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2023 got underway on Sunday, May 21, with players from all over the world converging to show off their skills on the table.
The tournament began with a slew of exciting matches, and the Indian contingent made an outstanding impression by the end of Day 1 in Durban, South Africa. Let's take a look at the Indian players' performances and notable accomplishments.
In the men's singles event, Manush Shah faced a tough challenge against South Korea's Cho Seungmin. Despite putting up a good fight, Shah couldn't overcome the South Korean's strong performance. Seungmin emerged victorious with a score of 4-1, securing his place in the next round.
Harmeet Desai, representing India, went head-to-head against Portugal's Tiago Apolonia. Despite a valiant effort, Desai couldn't overcome his opponent's strong game. Apolonia emerged as the winner with a score of 4-1, ending Desai's journey in the men's singles event.
Moving on to the women's singles event, Manika Batra faced Lynda Loghraibi from Algeria. Batra displayed her superior skills and dominated the match, securing a comfortable victory to advance to the next round.
Sreeja Akula showcased a stellar performance against Nicole Arlia from Italy. With impressive shots and excellent control, Akula outplayed her opponent, winning the match 4-1.
However, it was a closely fought battle for Sutirtha Mukherjee against Slovakia's Tatiana Kukulkova. Despite her best efforts, Mukherjee fell short in the end. Kukulkova emerged as the winner with a score of 4-3, ending Mukherjee's campaign in a thrilling encounter.
In the women's doubles event, Manika Batra and Archana Kamath faced Emily Quan and Yishiuan Lin from the USA. The Indian duo displayed excellent synchronization and control, winning the match with a score of 3-1 to move forward in the tournament.
In the mixed doubles event, G Sathiyan partnered with Manika Batra to take on Xia Lian Ni and Luka Mladenovic from Luxembourg. The Indian pair showcased their exceptional skills and determination, winning the match in a thrilling five-game encounter.
ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2023: Day 1 Results (Indians Only)
Men’s Singles - Round of 128:
Cho Seungmin (Korea) defeated Manush Utpalbhai Shah (India) 4-1
Scores: 11-8, 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-5
Tiago Apolonia (Portugal) defeated Harmeet Desai (India) 4-1
Scores: 11-13, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9, 15-13
Women’s Singles - Round of 128:
Nicole Arlia (Italy) lost to Sreeja Akula (India) 1-4
Scores: 6-11, 9-11, 11-9, 4-11, 5-11
Sutirtha Mukherjee (India) lost to Tatiana Kukulkova (Slovakia) 3-4
Scores: 3-11, 4-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8
Hana Arapovic (Croatia) lost to Reeth Tennison (India) 2-4
Scores: 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 12-14, 3-11, 8-11
Women’s Doubles - Round of 64:
Manika Batra/Archana Kamath (India) defeated Emily Quan/Yishiuan Lin (United States of America) 3-1
Scores: 10-12, 11-2, 11-9, 11-5
Mixed Doubles - Round of 64:
Gnanasekaran Sathiyan/Manika Batra (India) defeated Xia Lian Ni/Luka Mladenovic (Luxembourg) 2-3
Scores: 11-9, 8-11, 16-14, 7-11, 6-11
