World Team Table Tennis Championships: India women beat Spain, advance to Round of 32

After Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra lost their matches, Ayhika Mukherjee pulled off a crucial victory to keep India in the hunt. Sreeja and Manika prevailed in their repeat fixtures to hand their side a 3-2 win.

India’s Ayhika Mukherjee in action during her women’s singles group stage match against China’s Sun Yingsha. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

India overcame a 0-2 deficit and pulled off a 3-2 victory over Spain in the women’s Group match of the World Team Table Tennis championships in Busan on Tuesday to qualify for the knockouts (Round of 32). India finished second behind China in its Group.

Seeded 30 to India’s 17, Spain, it was believed, would be an easy team to beat. But it was anything but that.

Much to the disappointment of India, its two best paddlers, Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra lost their matches to Maria Xiao and Sofia-Xuan Zhang, respectively.

Ayhika Mukherjee provided the much-needed lifeline for India with a five-game victory over Elvira Red. After Elvira came back to win the fourth game, Ayhika remained steadfast in the fifth and deciding game as she took a 6-2 lead, seldom giving any leeway to the Spaniard.

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Manika played one of her best matches in the championships in the fourth rubber. Against Maria, a left-hander, Manika’s forehand came to the fore as she produced many winners to pull through in straight games, 11-9, 11-2, 11-4.

In the fifth and deciding match, Sreeja took on Sophia. With the contest tied at 1-1, Sophia took a medical timeout for a pain in her playing (left) arm at 5-6 in the third game. When the Spaniard returned, she writhed in pain on and off and quickly lost the plot. Sreeja won 11-6, 11-13, 11-6, 11-3.

India will take on Italy in the Round of 32. If it manages to get past the 24th-seeded side, India will take on Chinese Taipei in the Round of 16.