Commonwealth Games 2022: Defending champions India bow out of women’s table tennis after thriller vs Malaysia
Defending champions in the women’s table tennis event, India, were knocked out of the Commonwealth Games 2022. The Indian team, led by star player Manika Batra went down fighting in an exciting game of TT, losing the final game of the tie by 2-3 margin.
After recording an easy win in a group stage match earlier in the day, the Indian women’s team were expect to continue their dominating run. However, things went a little sideways when Manika Batra lost one of her singles matches.
India were on the backfoot after the pair of Reeth Tennison and Sreeja Akula lost the opening doubles match 1-3 (7-11 6-11 11-5 6-11) before Batra levelled the tie with a 3-2 (11-8 11-5 8-11 9-11 11-3) win over Ying Ho in the singles.
Akula then made amends for the doubles loss as she thrashed Li Sian Alice Chang 3-0 (11-6 11-6 11-9). But Batra failed to seal the tie for India as she lost to Karen Lyne 3-0 (6-11 3-11 9-11) in the crucial fourth match as Malaysia made another comeback in the tie. Lyne deserved credit for her win, after she came out all guns blazing against Batra from the start, to push the paddler deep into her side. The Malay played good attacking table tennis to not let Batra in even for a moment in that tie.
Malaysia took advantage of the momentum as Ying Ho beat Tennison 3-2 (10-12 11-8 6-11 11-9 11-9 ) in a tight deciding match to break Indian hearts.
