The Indian men’s team defied huge odds to script one of the biggest upsets of the World team table tennis championships here on Sunday in Group 2, edging out second-seeded Germany 3-1. This is India’s second straight win in the Group. It will next take on Kazakhstan on October 3 (Monday).
G. Sathiyan, India’s top ranked paddler at World No.37, was the star of the contest as he won both his matches.
Sathiyan put it across World No. 36, Benedikt Duda, after being down by two games in the first rubber. And again in the fourth rubber against World No.9 Dang Qiu, the Indian fought back from being down by two games to finish the tie in five games and the contest in India’s favour.
Though Harmeet Desai lost the second tie to Dang in four games, Manav Thakkar played an outstanding game to defeat Ricardo Walther, a player ranked 68 above Manav at 74 to win 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10 in the third rubber.
The fourth match between Sathiyan and Dang was a cliff-hanger. Trailing 3-6 in the fifth and deciding game, Sathiyan played a nerveless attacking game to etch one of his finest wins over a World top-10 ranked opponent.
“It was a fantastic win, beating Germany, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist for the first time. The entire team was pumped up [before the match]. Full credit to Harmeet [Desai], Manav [Thakkar] and India’s head coach Raman sir. It is great to have the momentum after the Birmingham Commonwealth Games men’s team gold. We are fighting as one team. That was the key,” said Sathiyan to The Hindu immediately after the historic victory.
The result:
India bt Germany 3-1 (G. Sathiyan bt Benedikt Duda 11-13, 4-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9; Harmeet Desai lost to Dang Qiu 7-11, 9-11, 13-11, 3-11; Manav Thakkar bt Ricardo Walther 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10; Sathiyan bt Dang 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9).
