Manav Thakkar delivered a gritty five-game comeback to advance into the men's singles second round at the World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash in Los Angeles on Sunday, 29 June, while compatriot Sathiyan Gnanasekaran was bundled out in the first round. World No. 1 Wang Chuqin of China swept past teammate Zhou Qihao in straight games to launch his title defence at the Ontario Convention Center.

Thakkar Fights Back, Sathiyan Bows Out

Thakkar edged France's Flavien Coton 3-2 in a nervy encounter that swung back and forth across five games — 12-10, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7. The Indian paddler took the opener before surrendering the second, then traded games with Coton before holding his nerve in the decider.

Sathiyan's campaign, by contrast, ended without a set win. He fell to Japan's Yuta Tanaka 3-0 (5-11, 7-11, 10-12), saving a match point in the third game but unable to force a fourth. The result leaves India's challenge in men's singles resting entirely on Thakkar, who faces a daunting second-round assignment against Wang Chuqin on Tuesday.

Wang Chuqin Opens Title Defence in Style

Wang Chuqin made a composed return to competitive table tennis, defeating Zhou Qihao 11-6, 15-13, 11-3 in what was his first competitive match in over a month. The world number one had been absent from the circuit since helping China clinch its 12th consecutive men's title at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London.

'Win or lose, it won't go beyond your expectations when you play against a teammate, as the level of play is quite close. Coming into this match, I had a positive mindset and tried to figure out how I fared after a long time without playing any competitive matches,' Wang said after the win.

China's Lin Shidong and Chen Yuanyu also progressed to the men's singles last 32. Lin dismantled South Korea's Park Gang-hyeon 11-5, 11-2, 11-6, while Chen got past host wildcard Nandan Naresh 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4. 'Park played very well recently, and his first three strokes and forehand are high-caliber, so I approached this match with a mindset of challenging him and tried to adjust my mentality,' Lin said.

Notably, No. 7 seed Lin Yun-ju of Chinese Taipei was among the early upsets, losing in five games to teammate Kuo Guan-hong on the tournament's opening day.

Indian Women's Singles and Doubles Fixtures Ahead

In women's singles, Yashaswini Ghorpade is set to face third seed Yuling Zhu of Macao (China), while Manika Batra takes on Japanese wildcard Sakura Yokoi in the Round of 64. Top Indian women's singles player and Olympian Sreeja Akula will face 16th-seeded Cheon-hui Joo of South Korea.

In mixed doubles, the fifth-seeded pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale open against American wildcards Jishan Liang and Sally Moyland. The seventh-seeded women's doubles pair of Ghorpade and Chitale begin their campaign on Tuesday. Thakkar and Manush Shah, seeded fifth in men's doubles, await their Round of 16 opponents on Tuesday.

Women's Singles Stars Advance, China-US Doubles Pairs Exit

China's second seed Wang Manyu eased past 15-year-old US player Irene Yeoh 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 in women's singles, with teammates Kuai Man and Shi Xunyao also reaching the last 32. 'The first match against a young player was mainly about getting used to the venue,' Wang Manyu said. 'I will face opponents with different styles of play, so I need to make quick adjustments as the tournament progresses.'

Both China-US mixed pairs were eliminated in the first round. Xue Fei and Kanak Jha lost to China's Yuan Licen and Wen Ruibo 3-1 in men's doubles, while Bosman Botha and Qin Yuxuan fell in three games to host duo Naresh and Jessica Reyes Lai.

With India's doubles pairs and Thakkar's second-round clash against Wang Chuqin on the horizon, Tuesday's sessions at the Ontario Convention Center will be pivotal for the Indian contingent's prospects at the WTT US Smash.