Serving it up: Manika and Sathiyan produced a medical present to actual revenge on Korea’s Shin and Jonghoon.
| Photo Credit: Special association
Manika Batra was the lone Indian to stay unbeaten on the opening day of the WTT Star Contender Goa on Wednesday.
The paddler began the day by cruising to a 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 win over England’s Tin-Tin Ho within the first spherical. Manika mixed with Archana Kamath within the afternoon and was at risk of being ousted within the girls’s doubles spherical of 16.
However, the duo staged a outstanding comeback — it trailed 8-11, Sept. 11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10 towards Hong Kong’s Zhu Chengzhu and Li Ching Wan — to win the marathon marathon 53-minute encounter.
Manika teamed up with G. Sathiyan to enter the combined doubles quarterfinal, the World No. 5 pair avenging two earlier losses towards Korea’s Yubin Shin and Lim Jonghoon with a 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6 win.
Sathiyan overcame Harmeet Desai 11-4, 10-12, 13-11, 11-9 within the first spherical, however the speaking level of the day was the presence of S. Raman, Sathiyan’s private coach, in the course of the contest. Breaking conference — when two Indians play towards one another in worldwide meets, there might be nobody in each corners — Sathiyan had Raman advising him!
Other outcomes:
Men (first spherical): G. Sathiyan bt Harmeet Desai 11-4, 10-12, 13-11, 11-9; Emmanuel Lebesson (Fra) bt Wesley Do Rosario 11-4, 11-3, 11-8; Kirill Gerassimenko (Kaz) bt A. Sharath Kamal 11-8, 11-7, 11-8. Doubles (round-of-16): A.N. Jaehyun & Cho Seungmin bt Sharath & Sathiyan 11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8; Bastian Rembert & Jules Rolland (Fra) bt Manush Shah & S. Snehit 11-8, 11-13, 11-3, 11-7; Harmeet Desai & Manav Thakkar bt Jeet Chandra & Ronit Bhanja Sept. 11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5.
Women (first spherical): Manika Batra bt Tin-Tin Ho (Eng) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5; Hana Goda (Egy) bt Sreeja Akula 11-2, 11-13, 11-8, 11-2; Miyu Nagasaki (Jap) bt Yashaswini Ghorpade 11-3, 11-5, 11-9; Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Suhana Saini 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8. Doubles (round-of-16): Cheng I-Ching & Li Yu-Jhun (Tpe) bt Sreeja & Diya Chitale 11-6, 11-4, 11-2; Kim Nayeong & Joo Chenohui (Kor) bt Suhana & Yashaswini 11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7; Manika & Archana Kamath bt Zhu Chengzhu & Li Ching Wan (Hkg) 8-11, Sept. 11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10; Linda Bergstrom & Christina Kallberg (Swe) bt Poymantee Baisya & Anannya Basak 11-6, 11-9, 11-7.
Mixed doubles (round-of-16): Choi Hyojoo & Lee Sangsu (Kor) bt Archana & Manav 11-4, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3; Lebesson & Yuan Jian Nan (Fra) bt Suhana & Rosario 11-6, 12-10, 11-2, Manika & Sathiyan bt Yubin Shin & Lim Jonghoon (Kor) 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6.
