Indian table tennis has witnessed a historic breakthrough as Manav Thakkar became the first-ever Indian men’s singles player to reach the semifinals of a WTT Star Contender event.
The young Indian paddler stunned Olympic and World medalist Lim Jonghoon of Korea in an intense five-game thriller in the quarterfinals of the WTT Star Contender Chennai.
The 23-year-old’s journey to the last four was nothing short of spectacular. He showed immense resilience and composure to fight back from a 1-2 game deficit and 2-6 down in the fourth game, eventually securing a 3-2 (5-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-6, 11-1) victory over the world-class Korean.
Unbelievable Turnaround Against Lim Jonghoon
Heading into the match, Manav Thakkar had lost twice previously to Lim Jonghoon in closely contested encounters. This time, the Indian was determined to change the script.
However, things did not start well for him as he lost the first game 5-11. He bounced back in the second with a thrilling 12-10 win, only to see Jonghoon regain control in the third with a dominant 11-3 scoreline.
With his back against the wall, Manav was trailing 2-6 in the fourth game when something extraordinary happened. In a moment of sheer brilliance, he won seventeen consecutive points—a feat rarely seen at this level.
He took the fourth game 11-6 and carried his momentum into the decider, where he completely outclassed his Korean opponent 11-1 to book his place in the semifinals.
A Journey of Hard-Fought Wins
Before his historic quarterfinal win, Manav had already made headlines by becoming the first-ever Indian male paddler to reach the quarterfinals of a WTT Star Contender event.
In the Round of 16, he registered a thrilling victory over Germany’s Andre Bertelsmeier in a five-game battle (10-12, 12-10, 15-13, 6-11, 11-5).
His impressive run began in the Round of 32, where he defeated Australia’s Finn Luu (World No. 35) 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8). In the opening round, he dominated his fellow Indian Divyansh in straight games (11-4, 11-7, 11-7).
Breaking into the World’s Top 50
With this dream run, Manav Thakkar is set to break into the World Top 50 rankings, a significant milestone in Indian table tennis history. His performances in Chennai have shown that Indian paddlers can compete with the best in the world and win against top-ranked players.
Semifinal Challenge Against Thibault Poret
Up next, Manav Thakkar will face Thibault Poret of France in the semifinals. Poret had earlier defeated India’s Snehit 3-1 in his quarterfinal match. The Indian fans will be eagerly awaiting to see if Manav can continue his giant-killing run and reach the final of a WTT Star Contender event, an achievement never seen before in Indian men’s singles table tennis.
A Landmark Moment for Indian Table Tennis
Manav’s historic achievement in Chennai is a testament to the growing strength of Indian table tennis. With veterans like Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran paving the way, young stars like Manav Thakkar are now carrying the torch forward.
His performance at the WTT Star Contender Chennai will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of Indian paddlers to dream bigger and believe that they too can challenge the world’s best. As Manav steps onto the court for his semifinal, Indian table tennis fans will be hoping for yet another chapter of history to be written.
Can Manav Thakkar take it a step further and reach the final? The nation waits in anticipation!
