Asian Games: Sutirtha & Ayhika Mukherjee Stun China in Women’s Doubles Table Tennis to Secure First Ever Medal – News18

Indian paddlers Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee scripted a historic win against the Chinese pair of Meng Chen and Yidi Wang – the reigning world champions – in the women’s Table Tennis Doubles quarter-finals on Sunday in Hangzhou. The Indian duo has assured India a first-ever Asian Games medal in women’s table tennis doubles as they advance into the semi-finals with a 3-1 triumph.

The quarterfinals was no less than a roller-coaster of emotions as both India and China had a close fight till the Mukherjee duo excelled with 11-5, 11-5, 5-11 & 11-9.

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Ayhika and Sutirtha displayed exceptional skills and determination right from the beginning as they won the first set with an impressive score of 11-5. Their dominance continued in the second set as they repeated the feat with an identical scoreline.

The Indian pair had to wait a little longer to script history as Meng Chen and Yidi Wang bounced back to win the third set with a score of 11-5. However, Ayhika and Sutirtha maintained their composure and got back on the track in the fourth which turned out to be a neck-to-neck fight with the world no. 2 ranked Chinese pair.

But the intense last set ended with Ayhika and Sutirtha winning with a score of 11-9 which saw them cruising into the semis and assuring India a historic medal.

The triumph also marks the first-ever entry of an Indian women’s doubles team into the semi-final of an international table tennis championship.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra produced an error-filled game to make an early exit in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles table tennis competition. Manika went down against world No. 4 Yidi Wang of China 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 4-11, 14-12, 5-11 and her defeat also marked the end of India’s campaign in the singles event at the Hangzhou Games.

India’s men’s doubles pair of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar also bowed out in the quarterfinals. They were beaten by South Korean pair Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim 8-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11 in the last eight.