Unseeded Sutirtha Mukherjee of West Bengal played a tight yet brilliant game to defeat the top seed Manika Batra of Delhi 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6 in the women’s table tennis semifinals of the 36th National Games here on Saturday.
Sutirtha played to her strengths of perfect block, excellent consistency and good anticipation, seldom allowing the former Commonwealth Games star to get her confidence, and reach her maiden Games final.
Manika played really well, attacking and blocking well. Sutirtha too was equal to the task blocking really well and attacking at the right moments to finish points.
Harmeet shocks top seed Sathiyan
Tamil Nadu’s G. Sathiyan, the top seed, followed in the footsteps of Manika Batra after being knocked out of the table tennis semifinals by Harmeet Desai of Gujarat. The score read in Harmeet’s favour 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9.
Harmeet has been in impeccable form coming in for the Games which will hold him in good stead in the forthcoming World team championships in Chengdu (China).
Be it his backhand whip from the back of the table or short-ball play, the 29-year-old was outstanding throughout.
