Birmingham: Indian paddlers Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula entered the women’s singles quarterfinals in the table tennis event of the Commonwealth Games here Friday. Manika Batra steamrolled Australian Jee Minhyung 11-4, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10 to book her place in the last eight stage. Manika will now take on Singapore’s Jian Zeng in the quarterfinal encounter later Friday tonight.
Sreeja, on the other hand, played out a nerve-wracking encounter against Charlotte Carey from Wales to secure herself a last eight berth. The 24-year-old toiled hard but held her nerves to beat Carey 8-11, 11-7, 12-14, 9-11, 11-4, 15-13, 12-10. Sreeja will lock horns with Canada’s Mo Zhang in the quarterfinal which is also slated to be held later Friday.
Earlier in the day, both Manika and Sreeja also reached the mixed doubles quarterfinal events. Batra and mixed doubles partner Sathiyan Gnanasekaran humbled Nigerians Olajide Omotayo and Ajoke Ojomu 11-7, 11-6, 11-7. The two will face Malaysia’s Javen Choong and Karen Lyne in the first quarterfinal event Friday.
Sreeja and her partner Achanta Sharath Kamal, on the other hand, came from behind to beat Malaysia’s Leond Chee Fang and Ho Ying 5-11, 11-2, 11-6 11-5. They will now square up against home favourites Liam Pitchford and Tin-Tin Ho.
Meanwhile, Reeth Tennison, bowed out in the women’s singles event after she went down to Singapore’s Feng Tianwei in a round of 16 game. The Singaporean Tianwei proved too strong for Tennison and the latter was beaten 11-2, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-4.
Meanwhile, Kamal and Gnanasekaran stormed into the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles event after easing past Bangladesh’s Bawm Ramhimlian and Ridoy Mohutasin Ahmed. The Indian pair won 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 in three straight games in their round of 16 clash.
The pair of Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shetty also was through to the last-eight stage after they defeated Australian pair of Chambers Dillon and Yan Xin 3-1. Desai and Shetty, who won 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, 7-11, will now lock horns with Singapore’s Clerance Chew and Shao Feng Ethan Poh in the last eight round match.
