WTT Star Contender Chennai: Payas Jain Shocks Sathiyan; Sharath Kamal Begins with a Win
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Synopsis
On March 27, during the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025, Payas Jain pulled off a remarkable upset by defeating Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the Men’s Singles. Additionally, table tennis legend Sharath Kamal made a strong start in his farewell tournament, winning against Anirban Ghosh.
Key Takeaways
- Payas Jain upsets Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in Round of 64.
- Achanta Sharath Kamal wins in his farewell event.
- Top-seeded Japanese pairs dominate the Doubles events.
- Gujarat players show strong performances in Men’s Singles.
- Exciting comebacks in Women’s Singles highlight the day.
Chennai, March 27 (NationPress) Ex-ITTF Youth World No. 1 (U-17) Payas Jain delivered a stunning upset on the first day of the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025, eliminating Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the Men’s Singles Round of 64.
In other matches, the top-seeded Japanese pair Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima showcased their skills in the Men’s Doubles, while Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara mirrored their success in the Women’s Doubles.
Later, Indian table tennis icon Achanta Sharath Kamal kicked off his farewell event with a commanding victory over qualifier Anirban Ghosh, winning in straight games. Sharath also teamed up with Snehit Suravajjula in Men’s Doubles, triumphing against Australia’s Nicholas Lum and Finn Luu in a thrilling five-game match.
The WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025, organized by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) under the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), offers 600 ranking points to winners and a total prize pool of USD 275,000, featuring elite global players in action.
The Gujarat trio of Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, and Manush Shah all made impressive starts in the Men’s Singles on Thursday. Both Manav and Harmeet won their matches in straight games against qualifiers Divyansh Srivastava and Kim Taehyun, respectively. Wildcard Manush staged a comeback, overcoming a slow start to defeat Italian qualifier John Oyebode.
In an exciting all-Indian Women’s Singles matchup, Ayhika Mukherjee narrowly defeated her wildcard partner Sutirtha Mukherjee in a five-game thriller.
Trading games throughout, Ayhika’s defensive skills proved vital as she secured the decisive game 12-10 to advance. Additionally, 15-year-old Syndrela Das and 14-year-old Divyanshi Bhowmick displayed remarkable resilience, both making stunning comebacks to achieve thrilling five-game victories.
In the Mixed Doubles, top-seeded Hong Kong pair Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem displayed their dominance with a straight games win. In the Women’s Doubles, Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade fought hard against qualifiers Taneesha Kotecha and Sayali Wani.
Despite their earlier clash, Ayhika and Sutirtha teamed up for a Round of 16 match but faced an unexpected defeat against the wildcard duo of Sreeja Akula and Swastika Ghosh.
