GANDHIDHAM, March 5: Manav Thakkar and Archana Kamath saw their impressive run in the mixed doubles at the WTT Contender Muscat 2022 ended with heartbreak after their final loss.
In the title match, the world no. 32 Indian pair failed to keep the momentum going as they suffered a 3-11, 3-11, 6-11 loss against the Chinese pair of Wang Chuqin, who is ranked third in the mixed doubles, and Chen Xingtong to settle for a second-place finish.
Manav and Archana started their campaign with an 11-9, 14-12, 11-2 win over the Turkish pair of Abdullah Yigenler and Ozge Yilmaz in the opening round.
In the quarters, the Indian pair overcame a mid-game collapse to record a fighting 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-13, 11-8 win over Brazilian pair of Vitor Ishiy and Bruna Takahashi.
However, Manav and Archana got their mojo back in the semis as they blanked the Hungarian pair of Nandor Ecseki and Leila Imre 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 to reach the final.
“A big congratulations to Manav as well as Archana. Considering the fact that they were playing their first final in WTT events, it was a big challenge for them as they were facing a strong Chinese team. I feel Manav and Archana are shaping up well and with experience, they will soon turn the silver into gold,” Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA) president Vipul Mittra, IAS, said.
“They are young players. And they will surely learn from their experiences. They came out with an impressive performance which should give them the confidence ahead of the qualifying tournaments ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Hangzhou Asian Games later this year,” GSTTA chairman Milind Torawane, IAS, added.
Written by : Pranjal Protim Boruah
