World Table Tennis Championships: Heartbreak for Sathiyan as he loses thriller against Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna

India’s G. Sathiyan bowed out of the World Table Tennis Championships after a valiant effort against Quadri Aruna on Thursday. The Indian paddler went down fighting against the Nigerian as the scoreline read 11-9, 7-11, 13-15, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9. The match was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Sathiyan was the only Indian paddler left in the fray vying for a medal in the singles events. With him also out, India’s world table tennis championship medal hope in men’s and women’s singles event ended.

However, all hope is not lost for the Indian contingent. The women’s doubles team of Manika Batra/Archana Kamath and the mixed doubles team of Sharath Kamal/Archana Kamath and Manika/Sathiyan are still alive in the competition.

In women’s doubles, Manika and Archna thrashed Nathalie Marchetti and Margo Degraef of Belgium 11-4, 11-7, 11-6. The Indian pair will now face Dora Madarasz and Georgina Pota in the pre-quarterfinal round.

In the mixed doubles event, Sharaht and Archana edged past the Egyptian challenge of Assar and Meshref 3-2 to advance to Round of 16. The duo will face France’s Jia Nan Yuan and Emmanuel Lebesson.

Manika and Sathiyan, on the other hand, defeated the Puerto Rican pair of Adriana Diaz and Brian Afanador 3-1. They will now face the USA and China’s mixed team of Wang Manyu and Kanak Jha at the world table tennis championship.

World Table Tennis Championships results:

Men Singles:

• Quadri Aruna bt G. Sathiyan 11-9, 7-11, 13-15, 11-3, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7

Men's Doubles:

• Anton Kallberg & Trula Moregard (Swe) bt Sharath Kamal & Sathiyan 11-9, 9-11, 13-11, 11-7.

Women's: Doubles:

• Manika Batra & Archana Kamath bt Margo Degraef & Nathalie Marchetti (Bel) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6.

Mixed doubles:

• Sharath & Archana bt Omar Assar & Dina Meshref (Egy) 9-11, 2-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4
• Sathiyan & Manika Batra bt Brian Afandor & Adriana Diaz (Pur) 11-6, 3-11, 11-7, 11-0.