WTT Star Contender Chennai: Sharath Kamal Dominates, Four Indians Progress to Round of 16

Chennai, March 28 (NationPress) Five-time Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal showcased his enduring talent with a decisive straight games victory over tenth seed Nicholas Lum during the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 on Friday. This remarkable win propelled Sharath alongside three other Indian players into the Round of 16, including Manav Thakkar and Snehit Suravajjula in Men's Singles, while Krittwika Roy advanced from Women's Singles.

The WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 offers a substantial 600 ranking points for champions and a total prize pool of USD 275,000, featuring elite global athletes.

Facing an opponent 23 years younger in Men's Singles, Sharath displayed exceptional strategy and awareness by leveraging Lum's agility against him, clinching the first two games with identical scores of 11-8. Demonstrating powerful finishing skills on both his forehand and backhand, Sharath established a five-point advantage in the third game, ultimately sealing victory with a stunning down-the-line backhand smash.

The 42-year-old veteran will compete against his regular Men’s Doubles partner Snehit Suravajjula in the Round of 16 on Saturday, following an impressive comeback win from two games down against seventh seed Yukiya Uda of Japan.

Earlier, Manav Thakkar kept his title aspirations alive with a confident victory over eleventh seed Finn Luu in Men's Singles. Although Thakkar and Luu traded games in the beginning, Thakkar seized control early in the third game, maintaining his lead for a 3-1 victory.

In Women's Singles, Indian wildcard Krittwika Roy triumphed in a thrilling five-game contest against tenth seed Sreeja Akula, winning 3-2 to secure her place in the next round.

In other matches, the top two seeds in both men’s and women’s singles, Tomokazu Harimoto, Hugo Calderano, Hina Hayata, and Miwa Harimoto, all progressed to the Round of 16. Harimoto overcame Maharu Yoshimura in a hard-fought battle, while Calderano rebounded to defeat Ho Kwan Kit 3-1. Hina Hayata dispatched Li Yu-Jhun 3-0, and Miwa Harimoto achieved a straightforward win over Yeh Yi-Tian.

The Men's Doubles semifinals witnessed the top seeds, Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima, narrowly defeat Wong Chun Ting and Chan Baldwin in a gripping five-game thriller, concluding with a score of 3-2.

Meanwhile, the Korean duo of Lim Jong-hoon and An Jae-hyun overcame the Indian Wildcard team of Sharath and Snehit with a 3-1 victory. In Women's Doubles, Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara eliminated top seeds Satsuki Odo and Sakura Yokoi 3-0, while Shin Yu-bin and Ryu Hanna advanced with a 3-0 win over Joo Cheonhui and Miyu Nagasaki.

The WTT Star Contender 2025 Presented By IndianOil will proceed with the Main Draw on Saturday across all five categories, with finals scheduled for both Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles. Fans can catch all the action live on SonyLiv for Table 1 and on the official WTT YouTube channel for Tables 2, 3, and 4.

Full Results (Main Draw, Day 2)