Manika Batra was the lone Indian to remain unbeaten on the opening day of the WTT Star Contender Goa on Wednesday.
The paddler started the day by cruising to a 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 win over England’s Tin-Tin Ho in the first round. Manika combined with Archana Kamath in the afternoon and was in danger of being ousted in the women’s doubles round of 16.
However, the duo staged a remarkable comeback — it trailed 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10 against Hong Kong’s Zhu Chengzhu and Li Ching Wan — to win the marathon marathon 53-minute encounter.
Manika teamed up with G. Sathiyan to enter the mixed doubles quarterfinal, the World No. 5 pair avenging two previous losses against Korea’s Yubin Shin and Lim Jonghoon with a 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6 win.
Sathiyan overcame Harmeet Desai 11-4, 10-12, 13-11, 11-9 in the first round, but the talking point of the day was the presence of S. Raman, Sathiyan’s personal coach, during the contest. Breaking convention — when two Indians play against each other in international meets, there will be no one in both corners — Sathiyan had Raman advising him!
Other results:
Men (first round): G. Sathiyan bt Harmeet Desai 11-4, 10-12, 13-11, 11-9; Emmanuel Lebesson (Fra) bt Wesley Do Rosario 11-4, 11-3, 11-8; Kirill Gerassimenko (Kaz) bt A. Sharath Kamal 11-8, 11-7, 11-8. Doubles (round-of-16): A.N. Jaehyun & Cho Seungmin bt Sharath & Sathiyan 11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8; Bastian Rembert & Jules Rolland (Fra) bt Manush Shah & S. Snehit 11-8, 11-13, 11-3, 11-7; Harmeet Desai & Manav Thakkar bt Jeet Chandra & Ronit Bhanja 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5.
Women (first round): Manika Batra bt Tin-Tin Ho (Eng) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5; Hana Goda (Egy) bt Sreeja Akula 11-2, 11-13, 11-8, 11-2; Miyu Nagasaki (Jap) bt Yashaswini Ghorpade 11-3, 11-5, 11-9; Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Suhana Saini 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8. Doubles (round-of-16): Cheng I-Ching & Li Yu-Jhun (Tpe) bt Sreeja & Diya Chitale 11-6, 11-4, 11-2; Kim Nayeong & Joo Chenohui (Kor) bt Suhana & Yashaswini 11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7; Manika & Archana Kamath bt Zhu Chengzhu & Li Ching Wan (Hkg) 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10; Linda Bergstrom & Christina Kallberg (Swe) bt Poymantee Baisya & Anannya Basak 11-6, 11-9, 11-7.
Mixed doubles (round-of-16): Choi Hyojoo & Lee Sangsu (Kor) bt Archana & Manav 11-4, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3; Lebesson & Yuan Jian Nan (Fra) bt Suhana & Rosario 11-6, 12-10, 11-2, Manika & Sathiyan bt Yubin Shin & Lim Jonghoon (Kor) 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6.
