Unseeded Anusha Kutumbale continued her impressive giant-killing run at the WTT Feeder Vadodara 2026, presented by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, with a composed quarterfinal victory over fourth seed Yashaswini Ghorpade to enter the women’s singles semifinals at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex on Saturday.
In what has been a breakout week for the young Indian paddler, Anusha defeated Yashaswini 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7 in a contest that lasted just over half an hour. The win followed her second-round upset of sixth seed Lee Zion, underlining her growing confidence and tactical maturity as the tournament progresses.
The inaugural WTT Feeder Series in Vadodara, hosted by the Table Tennis Association of Baroda and implemented by Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), has already delivered a series of high-quality matches, with Indian players making strong impressions across categories. Anusha’s run has been among the standout stories of the competition, as she navigates a challenging draw with assurance and control.
Against Yashaswini, Anusha showed remarkable composure in the opening game, edging ahead in the closing stages to take it 11-9. Although she dropped the second game 8-11, she responded emphatically in the third, dominating rallies with aggressive placement and quick transitions to close it out 11-3. The fourth game followed a similar pattern, with Anusha dictating play early and maintaining her lead to seal the match 11-7.
Her semifinal challenge, however, will be a stern one. Anusha is set to face Olympian Sutirtha Mukherjee, who produced one of the biggest upsets of the day by defeating top seed Yang Ha Eun of the Korea Republic 11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8. Sutirtha’s win highlighted her experience and ability to raise her level against elite opposition, setting up an intriguing semifinal clash between youth and experience.
The other women’s singles semifinal will see Korea Republic’s Ryu Hanna take on eighth seed Syndrela Das, ensuring a competitive and diverse final-four lineup.
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Sutirtha remained in contention for another title as well, advancing to the women’s doubles final alongside Ayhika Mukherjee. The Indian pair, seeded second, defeated Korea Republic’s Park Gahyeon and Lee Zion 11-8, 11-3, 11-9. They will now face top seeds Yoo Yerin and Ryu Hanna in what promises to be a high-quality final.
In the men’s singles, top seed Manush Shah continued his steady march towards the title with a 12-10, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8 win over Priyanuj Bhattacharyya, the Under-19 singles winner at the WTT Youth Contender 2026. Manush showed resilience in the face of a brief comeback from Priyanuj, regaining control in the fourth game to close out the match.
Manush will next face third seed Snehit Suravajjula in the semifinals, while the other semifinal will see fifth seed Akash Pal up against seventh seed Payas Jain. Both matches are expected to be closely contested, given the form displayed by the semifinalists so far.
Akash Pal and Payas Jain will also meet in the men’s doubles final, adding another layer of intrigue to their rivalry. Pal, partnering Mudit Dani, overcame wild card entrants Ronit Bhanja and Oishik Ghosh 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 in a controlled semifinal performance. In the other semifinal, Jain and Ankur Bhattacharjee edged past Harmeet Desai and Snehit Suravajjula in a five-game battle, winning 9-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-5.
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Harmeet Desai, however, remains in the hunt for silverware in the mixed doubles. Teaming up with Yashaswini Ghorpade, he advanced to the final after defeating Raegan Albuquerque and Suhana Saini 11-9, 11-7, 11-8. They will face Payas Jain and Syndrela Das, who defeated Ankur Bhattacharjee and Taneesha Kotecha 11-6, 11-8, 12-10 in the other semifinal.
As the tournament heads into its decisive stages, the Vadodara leg of the WTT Feeder Series has already underlined the depth of Indian table tennis, with emerging players like Anusha Kutumbale making a strong case for greater exposure on the international circuit. The semifinals and finals now promise high-intensity action, with multiple titles still up for grabs.
