Sharath-Saha pair bows out in quarters

Macau, February 28, 2012: Achanta Sharath Kamal and Subhajit Saha, who toppled the second-seeded Chinese pair yesterday failed to show the same intensity and verve against Chu Yan Leung and Yuk Cheung of Hong Kong in the quarterfinals of the Asian Table Tennis Championships and bowed out losing 0-3 here this afternoon.

Earlier, they had beaten the local pair of Kin Wa Leong and Chi Pan Che 9-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-2, 11-8 to move into the quarterfinals, giving some hope for the Indian camp.

But not only did the other Indian pair of A. Amalraj and Sanil Shetty lose 2-3 to the Chinese duo of Ma Long and Wang Hao in the pre-quarterfinals, but also in both sections of the singles events the Indian paddlers failed to make much of a progress.

Hong Kong’s Chu Yan and Yuk Cheung proved to be too hot a pair for both Sharath and Saha as it disposed of the Indians 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 in less than 40 minutes. The Indians, who met the Macau duo in the pre-quarterfinals, played totally contrasting match and the spark was visible when they wore out their opponents to win 3-2.

In fact, both Sharath and Saha complimented each other in their match against Macau and attacked when needed and slowed down when the opposition was strong. This ploy, somehow, could not be employed against Hong Kong players who never switched off from the first point they took against the Indian duo.

   

In men’s singles Amalraj lasted just two round but lost in the third round to Chu Yan Leong of Hong Kong 6-11, 5-11, 6-11, 4-11, while Soumyajit Ghosh bowed out in the first round to Zi Yang of Singapore 4-1. Another Singaporean Ning Gao accounted for Sharath Kamal in the third round when he beat the Indian 4-3 (8-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6.

Sharath had the measure of Gao when he was up two games and against led 3-2, but his opponent of the hook to lose the next two games. The similarity did not end there as Subhajit Saha also lost to Singapore’s Peng Tang 4-2 (9-11, 9-11, 11-7,11-7, 10-12, 10-12) in a gurelling third round fight.

Among the women, Mousumi Paul gave a semblance of fight to progress but she lost to Cheng I-Ching 1-4 in the fourth round. Earlier, Mousumi had beaten Iran’s Neda Sahasavari 4-3 (11-8, 2-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-4, 9-11, 14-12). Ankita Das too lost in the fourth round to Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa 4-0, Poulomi Ghatak in second round to Thai girl Nanthana Komwong 4-0, K. Shamini following her in third round when she lost to South Korean Eun Hee Lee 4-0 to complete the Indian rout.

With women’s doubles starting on Wednesday, there is still some Indian interests left in the championships.

A TTFI Press release 

Sharath-Saha upset second seeded Chinese pair of Lin-Jike

Macau, February 27, 2012: The Indian pair of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Subhajit Saha caused the biggest upset of the championships so far when they beat second-seeded Chinese pair of Ma Lin and Zhang Jike in straight games in the second round of the Asian Table Tennis Championships here this morning.

They will now take on the Macau duo of Leong Kin Wa and Che ChiPan, who overcame a stiff resistance from the Iranian pair of Alamiyan Noshad and Lotfollah Nasabi 3-2, in the pre-quarterfinals which are slated for tomorrow.

The other Indian pair of A Amalraj and Sanil Shetty too progressed to round of 16 beating the Thai duo of Chaitat Chaisit and Wongsiri Nikom 3-2 (13-11, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 13-7). They will meet the Chinese pair of Ma Long and Wang Hao in the next round.

The talk of the championships on the day was the way both Sharath and Saha stunned the Chinese pair—Lin is the reigning Olympic champion while Jike is the current world champion—after a not-so-good outing by Sharath who had lost all his three games in the team event earlier.

The Indians put up a gritty performance to win 11-2, 11-9, 11-5 and left the East Asia Games Dome in a much better frame of mind. “It was our best day. I had to make amends for the loss in the team event,” said an elated Sharath.

The same pair had previously proven what they are capable of at crunch situations. Past masters at causing surprises, they won gold in 2009 Commonwealth Championships at Glasgow and in October 2010 at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. On both occasions, they had beaten top seeds and favourites Singapore’s Gao Ning and Yang Zi in the final.

A TTFI Press release

Amalraj efforts of no avail as Indians wilt under Taipei pressure

Macau, February 26, 2012: It was so near and yet so far for Indian men paddlers who bowed out of the medal reckoning after losing to Chinese Taipei 2-3 in the quarterfinals of the Asian Table Tennis Championships early today.Later in the evening they lost 1-3 to DPR Korea in 5-8 positional matches.

Earlier, the women paddlers too bit the dust, fist losing to China 0-3 in the quarterfinals and subsequently to both Taiepir and South Korea in a similar fashion to finish eighth in the championships. The Indians, however, shared the winners’ position with Chinese Taipei in the first division and were presented with awards.

But while no one gave a chance to the women team against the rampaging China, it was within the realm of possibility of men who came so close to beating Taipei in the last eight. And the unexpected hero on the day was none other than national champion A. Amalraj who won both his matches against Chen Chien and Huang Sheng Sheng. But Achanta Sharath Kamal, who played to matches and Subhajit Saha who met Wu Chih Chi lost their matches to bow out of medal rounds.

Understandably upset over the outcome, the Indian paddlers went down 1-3 to North Korea and will now play for the 7-8 position game.

Men: Quarterfinals: Chinese Taipei bt India 3-2 (Huang Sheng Sheng  bt  Achantha Sharath Kamal  11-5, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7; Chen Chien An  lost to Anthony Amalraj  11-3, 7-11, 9-11, 8-11;

Wu Chih chi  bt Subjajit Saha  8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7; Huang Sheng Sheng  lost to Anthony Amal raj  11-4, 11-4, 7-11, 6-11, 8-11; Chen Chien An  bt Achantha Sharath Kamal  6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5.

5-8 Position: North Korea bt India 3-1 (Jang Song Man  bt  Anthony Amalraj  11-3, 11-4, 11-9; Hyok Bong  Kim lost to Achanta Sharath Kamal  14-12, 6-11, 5-11, 8-11; Kim Song Nam  bt  Soumyajit Ghosh  8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5; Jang Song Man  bt  Achanta Sharath Kamal  4-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.

Women: Quarterfinals: China bt India 3-0 (Ding Ning bt Mouma Das  11-7, 11-8, 11-3, Guo Yan  bt  Poulomi Ghatak  13-11, 11-5, 11-3, Guo Yue  bt  Ankita Das  11-2, 11-7, 11-8

5-8 Positions: Chinese Taipei bt India 3-0 (Chen Szu Yu  bt  Mouma Das  6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7;  Cheng I ching  bt Poulomi Ghatak  13-11, 11-4, 11-2’ Liu Hsing Yin  bt  Ankita Das  7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.

7-8 Position: North Korea bt India 3-0 (Kim Jong  bt Poulami Ghatak 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7; Ri Myong sun  bt  Mouma Das  11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4; Kim Hye Song  bt  Shamini Kumaresan  11-1, 14-12, 9-11, 11-7.

A TTFI Press release

Poulomi, Soumyajit lead India into quarterfinals

Macau, February 24, 2012: Women paddlers of the country made India proud as they entered the quarterfinals of the Asian Table Tennis Championships here on Tuesday morning, upsetting Thailand 3-0.

The men paddlers, on the other hand, overcame a tough Iran 3-2 to move into the quarterfinals where they will meet Chinese Taipei. Earlier, they had beaten in Group A both Bahrain and UAE with an identical 3-0 margin

Noshad Alamiyan, backbone of Iran, first accounted for Soumyajit Ghosh  11-7, 11-5, 11-9 in three straight games but Achanta Sharath Kamal  restored parity with an 11-5, 16-14, 11-3 win over Akhlaghpasand Mohammad Reza. Then national champion A.Amalraj downed Alamian Darounkolaei Nima 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 to put India in the lead.

Achanta Sharath Kamal, however, lost his reverse singles to Alamiyan Daronkolaei Noshad 11-7, 9-11, 10-12, 6-11 and Ghosh played an altogether different game in the decider to beat Akhlaghpasand Mohammed Reza 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 and seal India a quarterfinal place.

However, the story of the day is the maiden entry of Indian women players into the champion division of the meet. They will now take on the Chinese who did a thoroughly professional job to decimate their opponents to take their appointed place.

Though it will be tough against champions, the Indian girls, particularly Poulomi Ghatak, can take pride in what they achieved this morning against Thailand. Mouma Das opened the proceedings by beating  Anisara Muangsuk in straight games of 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 while Poulomi kept the momentum by overcoming Nanthana Komwong with a 11-4, 14-12, 11-6 to give India a commanding lead.

In fact, this commanding lead proved decisive for Ankita Das who, despite losing a game to Suttlux Rattanaprayoon, won 14-12, 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, leaving Thailand to compete for the ninth place.

National coach Bhavani Mukherjee praised national champion Poulomi for the gutsy play she put up against her Thai opponent. “Poulomi was too good today with her attacking game that left her opponent clueless. This momentum also helped Ankita in the third rubber,” he said.

Earlier, drawn in Group C, India beat Turkmenistan 3-0 and blanked out neighbours Sri Lanka in a similar fashion to enter stag two. The format of the championships is that teams finishing first in each group progresses to the knockout stage with two finalists from there entering the champion division.

A TTFI Press Release