Doha, May 18, 2025 – India experienced a day of mixed fortunes at the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, with Manika Batra and Manav Thakkar advancing to the second round while several other Indian players faced early exits. The 58th edition of the biennial tournament, taking place at the Lusail Sports Arena, witnessed a strong start from some Indian contenders, but also disappointments in both singles and doubles categories.
Manika Batra, seeded 22nd, displayed her dominance in the women's singles, securing a commanding 4-0 victory against Nigeria's Fatima Bello. The match, which lasted a mere 24 minutes, saw Batra comfortably outplaying her opponent with scores of 11-5, 11-6, 11-8, and 11-2. Batra's commanding performance has earned her a spot in the round of 64, where she is set to face Korea's Park Gahyeon.
India's top-ranked male singles player, Manav Thakkar, also showcased a confident start to his campaign. Thakkar defeated New Zealand's Timothy Choi 4-1 in his opening round match. The scores were 11-3, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, and 14-12, highlighting a competitive but controlled performance from the Indian paddler.
However, the day wasn't as bright for all the Indian participants. Eighteen-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee, making his debut at the World Championships, faced a tough challenge and exited in the first round after a 1-4 defeat to Hong Kong's Lam Siu Hang. Seasoned player G Sathiyan also had a difficult outing, bowing out with a straight-game defeat to France's Thibault Poret.
In the doubles action, the ninth-seeded pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale made a strong impression, registering a comprehensive 3-0 win over Algeria's Mehdi Bouloussa and Malissa Nasri with scores of 11-2, 11-7, 11-6. However, the men's doubles duo of Harmeet Desai and G Sathiyan faced disappointment, bowing out in the opening round after a 1-3 defeat to Austria's Maciej Kolodziejczyk and Moldova's Vladislav Ursu. The match scores were 9-11, 12-10, 14-16, and 10-12.
Adding to the setbacks, Harmeet Desai also experienced heartbreak in the mixed doubles, partnering with Yashaswini Ghorpade. Despite being seeded 14th and initially leading 2-0, the Indian pair failed to capitalize, squandering three match points to eventually lose 2-3 to France's Thibault Poret and Leana Hochart. The scores were 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 8-11, and 10-12.
Other notable results from the opening day included Manush Shah and Diya Chitale's dominant performance in mixed doubles, where they defeated Algeria's Mehdi Bouloussa and Malissa Nasri in straight games. Diya Chitale also progressed to the next round in the singles category, along with Manush Shah. However, Sreeja Akula, India's top-ranked women's singles player, was knocked out in the opening round by Thailand's Suthasini Sawettabut.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Manika Batra and Manav Thakkar as they aim to continue their successful runs.
