Indian table tennis team beats Australia but bows out

India bowed out of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 table tennis tournament despite beating Australia 8-6 in their final Group 1 match in Chengdu, the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday.

With just one win in three outings, the Indian table tennis team finished at the bottom of their group behind hosts and reigning champions China, the USA and Australia. Only the top two advanced to the second stage of the tournament.

Earlier, India had lost 8-3 to the USA in their opening match on Sunday before being blanked 8-0 by top seeds China. India also failed to progress to the second stage at the last edition of the tournament.

In the opening mixed doubles rubber, India’s Jeet Chandra and Pritha Vartikar lost 2-1 (8-11, 3-11, 11-8) to Aussie pair Luu Finn and Lay Jian Fang.

World No. 88 Yashaswini Ghorpade also lost the women’s singles rubber 2-1 (11-13, 12-10, 6-11) against Constantina Psihogios, 123rd in the table tennis rankings.

Down 4-2 in the tie, Snehit Suravajjula started India’s fightback at the Sichuan Gymnasium and beat Nicholas Lum 2-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7) in the men’s singles rubber.

Suravajjula and Chandra then teamed up to draw India level at 6-6 in the men’s doubles contest. The Indian duo beat Lum Nicholas and Luu Finn 2-1 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9).

In the do-or-die fifth rubber, a women’s doubles contest, India’s Pritha Vartikar and Yashaswini Ghorpade completed the turnaround by taking a 2-0 (11-8, 11-7) lead against the team of Constantina Psihogios and Lay Jian Fang.

According to the tournament format, the first team to win eight games wins the tie.

With experienced campaigners like Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran opting not to play in the tournament, a young Indian table tennis team competed in Chengdu.

The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup is in its second edition after the inaugural tournament was also held in Chengdu last year.

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