Indian Paddlers Seize Round of 16 Berths Amid Singaporean Resistance in New Delhi
Third seed Yashaswini Ghorpade fended off a determined 15-year-old Chong Sian Zi to advance at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. Hosts India secured most pre-quarterfinal slots on a day marked by strong performances from Payas Jain and Sayali Wani.
Key takeaways
- Third seed Yashaswini Ghorpade reached the pre-quarterfinals after a difficult 4-1 victory over 15-year-old Singaporean Chong Sian Zi.
- India dominated the Round of 32 at Thyagaraj Stadium, securing the majority of available spots in both men's and women's singles.
- Australian top seed Yangzi Liu advanced easily, while her teammate Constantina Psihogios won a 19-17 thriller against Yashini Sivashankar.
- Indian men's favorites Payas Jain, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar all successfully navigated their matches to reach the final 16.
Ghorpade Tested by Singaporean Prodigy
Third seed Yashaswini Ghorpade secured her place in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals at the Thyagaraj Stadium on Friday, though the victory required more effort than the 4-1 scoreline suggests. Singapore’s 15-year-old Chong Sian Zi neutralized Ghorpade’s long-pimpled backhand with technical maturity, forcing the Indian into grueling rallies. While Ghorpade dominated the third set with a barrage of forehand winners, Chong remained aggressive until the final point, eventually falling 11-8, 11-7, 11-2, 11-13, 12-10.
Mixed Results for Indian Women’s Contingent
India’s heavy presence in the draw—fielding 16 players per category—translated into several victories. Sayali Wani outlasted Malaysia’s Ying Ho in a five-game battle, while Nithyashree Mani, Taneesha Kotecha, and Swastika Ghosh progressed with efficient wins. However, the session was not without setbacks. Yashini Sivashankar exited after a marathon struggle against Australia’s Constantina Psihogios, losing 19-17 in the final frame. Suhana Saini and Kavya Bhatt also fell to Ai Xin Tee and England’s Tin-Tin Ho, respectively. Meanwhile, top seed Yangzi Liu of Australia signaled her intent by sweeping Malaysia’s Karen Lyne in straight games.
Men’s Draw: Dominance and Deflections
The men’s Round of 32 saw gold medalist Payas Jain dismantle Malaysia’s Javen Choong to reach the last 16. In an internal clash of styles, defensive specialist H. Jeho eliminated compatriot Mudit Dani with a clinical 4-0 performance. National stalwarts Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, and Sanil Shetty moved forward with relatively little friction. Ronit Bhanja provided one of the session's highlights, overcoming Singapore’s Ellsworth Le 4-1, punctuated by a tense 15-13 fifth game. Jash Modi and Akash Pal rounded out the successful Indian charge with wins over opponents from Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
- Key Men's Result: Jash Modi bt Thisas Methkalana (SL) 11-2, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5.
- Key Women's Result: Sayali Wani bt Ying Ho (Mas) 12-10, 13-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9.
- Australian Progression: Constantina Psihogios bt Yashini Sivasankar 5-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 19-17.
Source: The Hindu — Sport
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