Indian women get past Italy, men lose to same opponents in World Table Tennis Championships
While K Shamini lost to Chiara Colantoni, Manika Batra and Pooja Sahasrabudhe won their games vs Debora Vivarelli and Lisa Ridolfi respectively.
India's women team maintained their good form as they brushed aside the Italian challenge with a 3-1 victory while the men's team surrendered their 2-3 against same rivals in the Stage-I of the 2nd division group matches at the World Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo.
In the women's tie, K Shamini laboured before losing 4-11 3-11 11-8 11-9 9-11 to Chiara Colantoni in what should have been an easy battle for the Indian.
Shamini had everything going for her in the fifth game but a couple of crucial errors cost her dear. Manika Batra then levelled proceedings defeating Debora Vivarelli 11-8 8-11 11-9 14-12 to level the sore.
Then Pooja Sahasrabudhe, who was playing her first match on Wednesday, accounted for Lisa Ridolfi 8-11 11-3 13-11 11-3 in what turned out to be a one-sided affair barring the first game.
Manika then, won her reverse singles by beating Colantoni in straight games of 11-8 11-6 11-5 to avenge for Shamini's defeat.
They have one more match in Stage 1 against Bulgaria tomorrow evening and if they manage to win they would have set a record of sorts for winning five straight matches in a world event.
In the men's event, Harmeet Desai lost his opening singles to Mihai Bobocica 10-12 11-8 7-11 9-11 but both Achanta Sharath Kamal and Soumyajit Ghosh won their singles to give India 2-1 lead.
Sharath beat Niagol Stoyanov 12-10 12-10, 11-3 and Ghosh downed Leanardo Mutti 6-11 11-8 11-9 9-11 11-9. In his reverse singles, however, Sharath lost to Mihai 1-11 7-11 11-7 12-10 9-11 putting the burden back on Desai who failed to pass the test against Niagol as he lost 11-8 7-11 8-11 22-24.