Sutirtha-Aihika create history, reach women's double semis
Hangzhou (PTI): Sutirtha Mukherjee and Aihika Mukherjee shocked world champion Chinese pair Chen Meng and Yidi Wang to enter the women's doubles semifinals, assuring India a historic table tennis medal at the Asian Games here on Saturday.
In the quarterfinals, Sutirtha and Aihika won 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 and the victory over World No. 2 Chinese duo is all the more significant because India have never won a medal in the women's doubles event in the Asian Games.
The Indian players never allowed their superior opponents to settle down right from the go.
The Chinese duo was expected to roll over their opponents, and it happened precisely the opposite, as the Indians won the first game in just 8 minutes.
The trend followed in the second game too, as the Indians wrapped it in just 9 minutes as the Chinese players committed several unforced errors, particularly on the forehand.
The home side players mounted a brief fightback, winning the third game.
But the Indians regrouped quickly to assert themselves in the fourth game.
The epic winning moment came when Meng sprayed her forehand into the net.
Earlier, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra produced an error-filled game to make an early exit in the quarterfinals of the women's singles table tennis competition.
Manika went down against world No. 4 Yidi Wang of China 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 4-11, 14-12, 5-11 and her defeat also marked the end of India's campaign in the singles event at the Hangzhou Games.
The ace Indian paddler lost the first game 8-11, as she showed a distinct weakness on her backhand.
Even when she won the second and fifth games, it was more about the Chinese player making unforced errors in her eagerness to close out the points.
The classic example came in the fifth game when the Chinese sprayed an easy forehand while leading 11-10, which allowed Manika to claw back.
But in the sixth game, Wang regained her focus and peppered Manika's backhand with powerful shots that the latter failed to reply properly.
Manika tried to fight back with a couple of powerful forehands but Wang's astonishing retrieving ability left the Indian frustrated.
Fittingly, a backhand error from Manika that brought the match to an end.
Wang's laser-guided forehand found Manika fumbling as her backhand return sailed well wide of the table.
Earlier, India's men's double pair of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar also bowed out in the quarterfinals.
They were beaten by South Korean pair Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim 8-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11 in the last eight.
The Indians were leading 6-2 in the fifth game which later transpired to 9-9, but they squandered the chances to go down against the Koreans.
"We fought really well. We took the game to 9-9 in the last set. We were very close to winning but we have to take the learnings and move forward," said Manush after the defeat.
On the experience of playing against the World No. 1 Korean pair, Manush said: "They are probably the toughest opponents. We had some strategies and moves that we wanted to execute, and which we did. But in the end, we couldn't prevail."
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Injured Lockie Ferguson all but ruled out of remainder of IPL
Mullanpur, Apr 14 (PTI): Lockie Ferguson is all but ruled out for the remainder of the IPL with Punjab Kings fast bowling coach James Hopes saying that the pacer's chances of returning towards the back end of the tournament are low.
The New Zealand quick hobbled off after bowling just two deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad last week. The 33-year-old, who pulled the side of his left leg, is out indefinitely.
"Ferguson is out indefinitely, I think, and us getting him back by the end of the tournament is a very low percentage. I think he’s done a real decent injury to himself," Hopes told reporters on the eve of PBKS' match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
The setback is a significant blow to Punjab, with Ferguson having been a key part of their bowling department, particularly in the middle overs.
Punjab’s fielding, too, has been under scrutiny, with multiple dropped catches costing them dearly this season.
"That (last game) was a bit disappointing for us. We knew going into it that it was going to be an extremely high-scoring game. We got a great score on the board, but then, unfortunately, our inability to take catches that night made the match disappear on us.
"I think we've dropped 12 catches in the tournament now... If we had taken those catches, I think we could be sitting here with a four-and-one record, but we can't do anything other than keep the boys working on it, and keep them trying to improve in the field."
PBKS, who have won three and lost two games so far this season, now face KKR and RCB twice each in their next four fixtures.
"We're sitting at 3-2, which is a good spot in the competition, and we've got a big week coming up against the same two opponents, KKR and RCB.
"That's just the way the schedule has worked out for us. We've got them for the next four games. So if we can have a good week, we're going to be well-placed going into the second half of the tournament.”
