Satisfactory day for India in TT

Gold Coast, April 11: India’s campaign in table tennis competition at the 21st Commonwealth Games got off to a good start with singles and team players advancing to the next stage. The disappointments on the day were mixed doubles pairs Harmeet Desai and Pooja Sahasrabudhe as they were ousted here on Wednesday.

Indian para paddlers also had the mixed outings as Maitreyee Sarkar thrashed her opponent Vero Nime while Vaishvi went down 0-3 to Nigerian Faith Obazuaye in group 2.

In women’s doubles Round-of-32 match, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Pooja Sahasrabudhe outclassed Mauritius pair of Ruqayyah Kinoo and Sanja Alix Ramasawmy 3-0.

The Indian pair had a comfortable outing while whipping off the opponents 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 in straight games.

Sutirtha and Pooja will next fight it out for a place in the quarterfils, with Wales pair of Charlotte Carey and Chloe Thomas in the round of 16 on Thursday.

Indian men’s doubles duo of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gsekaran, and Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shankar Shetty also advanced to the round of 16.

Sharath and Sathiyan entered the round of 16 after thrashing Kiribati duo Tauramoa Miita and Nooa Takooa 3-0 (11-2, 11-5, 11-6) while Harmeet and Sanil beat Guya’s Shemar Britton and Christopher Franklin 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-7).

Sharath and Sathiyan had no problems in dealing with the inexperienced Kiribati pair, comfortably clinching the round of 32 tie. The other men’s doubles pair of Harmeet and Sanil too had an easy outing against the Guya combo, who failed to put up a challenge in any of the three games.

India’s veteran duo fo Achanta Sharath Kamal and Mouma Das also advanced to the round of 16 in mixed doubles competitions

But it was curtains for the other mixed doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and Pooja Sahasrabudhe, who lost their round of 32 tie 1-3 (6-11, 6-11, 11-3, 9-11) to Malaysia’s Javen Choong and Karen Lyne.

Sharath and Mouma, however proceeded to the round of 16 after beating the Sri Lankan duo of Rohan Sirise and Ishara Madurangi 3-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 11-5) at the Oxenford Studios here.

Sharath and Mouma will on Thursday face England duo of David McBeath and Kelly Sibley for a place in the quarter-fils.

Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gsekaran also advanced to the last 16, with a fighting 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 13-11) win over Chee Feng Leong and Ying Ho in mixed doubles match. Madhurika Patkar and Sanil Shankar Shetty, then joined forces to beat Sri Lankan pair of Buwaneka Jayasingha Mudiyanselage and Erandi Warusawitha 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-5) in straight games.

The singles players also witnessed a good outing on the seventh day of the meet.

India’s Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das advanced to round of 16 after winning both their respective singles matches.

Madhurika had to toil hard to tame Trinidad and Tobago’s Rheann Chung 4-1 (11-7, 14-12, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9) while Mouma had an easy 4-1 (11-6, 11-1, 11-8, 11-7) win against Mauritius’ Elodie Ho Wan Kau.

In men’s singles category, Harmeet Desai, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gsekaran came out victorious to enter the Round-of-16.

While Harmeet and Sathiyan comfortably outclassed their opponents, Sharath faced a fight from Malaysia’s Javen Choong.

Harmeet thrashed Papua New Guinea’s Geoffrey Loi 4-0 (11-4,11-3,11-1,11-2) and Sathiyan outplayed Pakistan’s Muhammad Rameez 4-0 (11-5,11-3,11-5,11-3).

Sharath maged to win a tough game 4-3 (11-2,11-5,11-4,7-11,11-13,6-11,11-7). (IANS)