World Team Table Tennis Ch’ships: Poland stuns India

Poland, seeded 18th to India’s 16, pulled off an upset win but on the table, it was a dominant performance by the Poles.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: The manner of the defeat to Poland would hurt India. | Photo Credit: Al Bello

Poland scripted an emphatic 3-1 victory over India in the Group 3 men’s section of the World Team Table Tennis championships in Busan on Sunday. 

Poland, seeded 18 ^th to India’s 16, pulled off an upset win but on the table, it was a dominant performance by the Poles. 

It was a disappointing display by Sharath Kamal in the first rubber against Jakub Dyjas. The Indian wasn’t at his attacking best. Instead, he chose to play a counterattacking game and was surprisingly defensive for the most part against an opponent who grew in confidence after every game. 

More than the defeat, it was the manner of his play that was stupefying. Briefly, the reigning Commonwealth Games singles champion produced winners through his trademark forehand topspin and backhand whiplash from the back of the table, but those were very few and far between.

India’s top paddler Harmeet Desai levelled the tie with an impressive 10-12, 13-11, 11-9, 11-5 victory over Maciej Kubik. 

Manav Thakkar, replacing G. Sathiyan, in the third match, played his heart out against Milosz Redzimski. The Indian’s counter-punching game, however, wasn’t enough as he went on to lose in tough five games.

The onus again fell on Harmeet. Taking on an inspired Dyjas who had defeated Sharath in the first match, was always going to be tough. Having lost the first two games, it looked like curtains for Harmeet and India. But the Indian won the third before the fourth went tooth and nail. Harmeet saved two matchpoints at 9-10 and 10-11, and he even had a game point at 12-11, but the Pole’s sustained offensive game put paid to India’s hopes.

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Dyjas prevailed 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 14-12. 

With a win (over Chile) and a loss, India will next take on Korea, seeded three, on Monday at 6.30 a.m. 

The results:

Poland bt India 3-1 (Jakub Dyjas bt Sharath Kamal 11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 12-10; Maciej Kubik lost to Harmeet Desai 12-10, 11-13, 9-11, 5-11; Milosz Redzimski bt Manav Thakkar 11-9, 9-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7; Dyjas bt Harmeet 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 14-12).