The Indian women’s table tennis team picked up their first win of the ITTF World Team Championships Finals in Busan on Sunday, beating Hungary 3-2.
The men’s team however, suffered their first loss, going down 1-3 to Poland.
India’s world No 36 Manika Batra had to work hard to beat world No 90 Dora Madarasz 8-11, 11-5, 12-10, 8-11, 11-4 to put India 1-0 in the tie.
Hungary’s No 1 player Georgina Pota, ranked 88, upset world No 49 Sreeja Akula with a tight 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8 win.
Ayhika Mukherjee then beat Bernadett Balint 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 to put India up 2-1, only for Madarasz to beat Akula 11-4, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7 to level the tie at 2-2.
In the decider however, Batra showed her class as she beat Pota with a straight-forward 11-5, 14-12, 13-11 score.
The win came after India lost 2-3 to China on the opening day. India is now placed third in Group 1, and will play Uzbekistan on Monday, followed by the tie against Spain on Tuesday.
The Indian men’s team meanwhile suffered a shock 1-3 loss to Poland.
Veteran Indian star Achanta Sharath Kamal lost the opening match against world No 113 Jakub Dyjas 8-11, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10. Harmeet Desai, the current India No 1, ranked at 67, beat Maciej Kubik 12-10, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5 to bring India level.
Manav Thakkar lost the fourth match 9-11, 11-9, 14-12, 6-11, 7-11 to Milosz Redzimski, before Desai lost the fourth match to Dyjas 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 12-14.
This was the Indians’ first loss in the men's event after they beat Chile in their tournament opener. They will play South Korea and New Zealand in their remaining Group 3 ties.
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