Achanta Sharath Kamal, the evergreen warrior of Indian table tennis, rolled back the years once again with a dominant win over tenth seed Nicholas Lum at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 Presented By IndianOil.
His stellar performance headlined a strong showing for Indian paddlers, with Manav Thakkar, Snehit Suravajjula, and Krittwika Roy also making it to the Round of 16.
Organized by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) under the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), the event offers 600 ranking points for the champions and a prize pool of USD 275,000, attracting some of the world’s best players.
Vintage Sharath Rolls Past Lum, Sets Up All-Indian Clash Against Snehit
Facing an opponent 23 years his junior, Sharath Kamal showcased his vast experience and tactical brilliance to outmaneuver Nicholas Lum in straight games. Using precision placements and well-timed attacks, the 42-year-old Indian veteran clinched victory with a scintillating down-the-line backhand smash to wrap up the match 11-8, 11-8, 11-9.
Sharath’s next challenge? A battle against his doubles partner Snehit Suravajjula, who produced a sensational comeback against World No. 29 Yukiya Uda. Trailing 0-2, Snehit dug deep to turn the tide, securing a thrilling 8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 victory to enter the Pre-Quarterfinals. This marks India’s first singles victory over a Top-30 player in 2025.
With their clash on Saturday, India is guaranteed its first-ever Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist at a WTT Star Contender event!
Manav & Krittwika Shine in Pre-QFs
Manav Thakkar also made a statement with a solid 3-1 victory over World No. 35 Finn Luu. After splitting the first two games, Manav controlled the tempo in the third and fourth games to secure a 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8 win.
Meanwhile, in Women’s Singles, Wildcard Krittwika Roy stunned India’s No. 2 paddler Sreeja Akula in a high-intensity 3-2 battle. Krittwika raced to a 2-0 lead, saw Sreeja claw back, but held her nerve in the decider to close it 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-7.
Key Results (Men’s Singles R32)
• Manav Thakkar (IND) bt. Finn Luu (AUS) [11] 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8)
• Achanta Sharath Kamal (IND) bt. Nicholas Lum (AUS) [10] 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9)
• Snehit Suravajjula (IND) [WC] bt. Yukiya Uda (JPN) [7] 3-2 (8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10)
Key Results (Women’s Singles R32)
• Krittwika Roy (IND) [WC] bt. Sreeja Akula (IND) [10] 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-7)
• Manika Batra (IND) lost to Huang Yu-Jie (TPE) 1-3 (7-11, 10-12, 11-7, 9-11)
Doubles Drama: Sharath-Snehit Fall Short in Semifinals
Sharath Kamal and Snehit’s doubles journey ended in the semifinals as they lost to Korean duo Lim Jong-hoon & An Jae-hyun. After saving two match points in the previous round to defeat Manav-Manush, they couldn’t repeat the magic against the third seeds, going down 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6.
In Women’s Doubles, Miwa Harimoto & Miyuu Kihara and Shin Yu-bin & Ryu Hanna advanced to the finals, setting up a Japan vs. Korea title clash.
Looking Ahead: Historic Indian Quarterfinalist Awaits
With Sharath vs. Snehit in the Round of 16, history will be made as India will have its first-ever singles quarterfinalist at a WTT Star Contender event.
Can Sharath’s fairytale run continue, or will Snehit complete a dream breakthrough?
Stay tuned for all the action live on SonyLiv and WTT’s official YouTube channel.
