The Indian women’s table tennis team scripted history on Tuesday in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The Indian team of Ayhika Mukherjee, Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula stunned second-seeded Korea 3-2 to seal a place in the semifinals of the Asian Table Tennis Championships 2024.
World No. 92 Ayhika, who won a historic maiden medal for India in women’s doubles at the Asian Games last year, gave India a prolific start by taking down the World No. 8 Yubin Shin 11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7 in 44 minutes.
Ayhika, who was not part of India’s first team at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, proved herself, not once but twice on Tuesday, as she remained unbeaten.
History made at Astana!
The 🇮🇳 women’s team have defeated Olympic bronze medalist 🇰🇷3-2 in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships! 👏
With this win, Indian women’s team have confirmed their FIRST EVER Asian Championship medal!
They will face 🇯🇵in the… pic.twitter.com/e3br7z3wYY
— The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) October 8, 2024
Ayhika won the first and the deciding match of India’s tie against Korea.
With her trademark smash and apt use of anti-spin rubber, she prevailed against Yubin to give India the best possible start in the winners-take-all quarterfinals.
Manika Batra, the world no. 29, made it 2-0 for India by handing thrashing a defeat to World No. 16 Jihee Jeon. Even though Manika lost the first game, she held her composure and prevailed 12-14, 13-11, 11-5, 5-11, 12-10 against Jeon in a 50-minute-long contest.
Playing the third match of the tie, World No. 26 Sreeja Akula, the highest-ranked Indian player, however, lost to Eunhye Lee, a player ranked 23 places below her in the world rankings.
Her defeat meant, India conceded a chance to win the quarterfinal clash in straight matches.
Korea fought back by winning two matches in a row, with Yubin getting better of Manika in a closely-fought fourth match 13-11, 11-4, 6-11, 7-11, 12-10 in 41 minutes.
With the tie at par at 2-2, it was left to Ayhika, one of the lowest-ranked players in the team, to step up. The youngster did not disappoint. She absorbed the pressure and recovered from a first-game loss to hand Jeon a 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10 defeat in 40 minutes.
With Ayhika making perfect use of her body smashes and accelerating and decelerating her strokes with her anti-spin rubber, the higher-ranked Jeon looked perplexed even after taking the first-game lead against her Indian counterpart.
When Ahyika wrapped up the match and the tie with a forehand stunner, the entire Indian team burst into celebration. India confirmed their place in the semifinals of the Asian Championships for the first time and confirmed a historic medal.
India will face Japan on Wednesday in the semifinals.