New Delhi: Two Indian couples in Shatuh Kamal and G Sathiyan, and Harmet Desai and Manav Thakkar, obtained a bronze medal in the men’s doubles in 2021 ITTF-Asian Championships on Monday.
In the first semi-final, HARMET and Manav, the eighth seed stretched the five South Korean seeds Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim before bent 4-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 in 44 minutes.
However, a pair of Saharahan and Sathiyan who were the sixth bed resisted the attack from Yukiya Uda and Shunsuke Togami for 33 minutes, down 5-11, 9-11, 11-13.
However, Indian men made history at the Asian championship, the first bronze winning team last week, and the two pairs added to two-fold bronze.
Harmeet and Manav, facing a 0-2 deficit, it seems out of the match.
But they regrouped in the third to scare their opponents.
From 7-all, they make it 10-10 and take games 12-10.
With new energy, both are well combined and run Korea close to 5-5.
But three lead points at 8-5 restored their beliefs because even though Korea made it 9 – all, the eighth seed sealed the game for them.
In decider, the Indian couple rose 6-4.
But Koreans seize the initiative (6-6), and it proved expensive.
Experienced Korean, raising bets, ensuring its place in the final.
However, after losing the first game with a Japanese couple, Sharath and Sathiyan recovered from a 1-3 deficit to give them a glimpse of hope in the second.
The closest to Indian people coming against the raging left-right duo is 5-6.
Then from 6-10, they struggled aggressively to choose three more points.
In the third, Indians lead 4-2 but Japan leveled 6-6 and immediately rose 10-7.
However, Indians played brilliantly for Deuce.
At 11-11, Uda left back with extraordinary placing Japan 12-11 and got a breakpoint to seal the fate of India.