The WTT Chennai Star Contender 2025 Presented By IndianOil kicked off with high-intensity action, upsets, and dominant performances from top paddlers.
The biggest shock of the day came in the Men’s Singles draw, where former ITTF Youth World No. 1 Payas Jain upset seasoned Indian international Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 3-1 in the Round of 64.
Meanwhile, Indian table tennis icon Achanta Sharath Kamal marked the beginning of his farewell tournament with a strong straight-games victory over qualifier Anirban Ghosh.
The tournament, organized by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) under the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), boasts 600 ranking points for the winners and a prize purse of USD 275,000. With top global paddlers competing across five categories, the opening day delivered plenty of fireworks.
Payas Jain’s Stunning Upset Over Sathiyan
20-year-old Payas Jain, a former Youth World No. 1, produced the biggest upset of the tournament so far, defeating Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 3-1 (11-8, 2-11, 11-8, 11-3).
Payas showcased incredible composure against his higher-ranked opponent, using his aggressive topspin play and quick counterattacks to unsettle Sathiyan.
This victory signals Payas’s rise in Indian table tennis, as he continues to prove that he can challenge the country’s best players on the senior circuit.
Sharath Kamal Begins Farewell Event in Style
Veteran Indian legend Achanta Sharath Kamal, playing in his final professional tournament, began his campaign with a dominant 3-0 win (11-7, 11-9, 12-10) over Anirban Ghosh.
Despite the emotional significance of the event, Sharath displayed his trademark control and precise shot-making to cruise into the next round.
In Men’s Doubles, Sharath partnered with Snehit Suravajjula to claim a thrilling five-game victory over Australia’s Nicholas Lum and Finn Luu (11-6, 7-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-9), showing he still has plenty of fight left in his farewell campaign.
Indian Men’s Stars Shine in Singles
Several Indian players made strong starts in the Men’s Singles draw:
• Manav Thakkar eased past Divyansh Srivastava 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-7).
• Harmeet Desai defeated Kim Taehyun 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-5).
• Wildcard Manush Shah came from a game down to beat John Oyebode 3-1 (11-13, 12-10, 13-11, 11-6).
All three have progressed to the Round of 32, keeping Indian hopes alive.
Young Indian Women Impress in Singles
India’s rising teenage talents showcased their mettle in the Women’s Singles draw:
• Ayhika Mukherjee won an intense five-game battle against her regular doubles partner Sutirtha Mukherjee (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10).
• 14-year-old Divyanshi Bhowmick staged a stunning comeback to defeat WR 64 Giorgia Piccolin of Italy in a five-game thriller (13-15, 11-9, 9-11, 11-1, 11-6).
• 15-year-old Syndrela Das recovered from a two-game deficit to defeat 19-year-old Suhana Saini 3-2 (9-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8).
These results highlight the bright future of Indian women’s table tennis, with multiple teenagers making their mark in a top-tier international tournament.
Doubles Action: Olympic Medallists Dominate, Indian Upsets Continue
The doubles categories saw several high-profile results:
Men’s Doubles
• Top-seeded Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima (JPN) dominated their opener with a 3-0 win.
• Sharath Kamal and Snehit Suravajjula won a five-game thriller against Nicholas Lum/Finn Luu (AUS).
• Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar defeated Harmeet Desai and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in an all-Indian clash (11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7).
Women’s Doubles
• Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara (JPN) won their opening match in straight games.
• Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade fought past Indian qualifiers Taneesha Kotecha and Sayali Wani (11-8, 5-11, 12-10, 11-5).
• In a major upset, Sreeja Akula and Swastika Ghosh defeated Ayhika and Sutirtha Mukherjee 3-1, shaking up the draw.
Mixed Doubles
• Top-seeded Hong Kong duo Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem won comfortably in straight games.
• Manush Shah and Diya Chitale secured an all-Indian win over Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika Mukherjee 3-0.
• Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura/Odo Satsuki knocked out Harmeet Desai and Yashaswini Ghorpade in straight games.
Looking Ahead
With the tournament moving into the later rounds, the intensity is set to rise. India’s top players, including Sharath Kamal, Manav Thakkar, Payas Jain, and Ayhika Mukherjee, will look to continue their impressive runs. Meanwhile, international stars like Tomokazu Harimoto, Miwa Harimoto, and Wong Chun Ting remain the favorites in their respective categories.
Fans can catch all the action live on SonyLiv (Table 1) and on WTT’s official YouTube channel (Tables 2, 3, and 4).
Conclusion
The first day of WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 delivered stunning upsets, dominant wins, and promising performances from young Indian talents. While Payas Jain’s victory over Sathiyan made headlines, Sharath Kamal’s farewell tournament has also started on a high note. With top players still in contention, the coming days promise even more thrilling action.
Stay tuned for more updates as India’s paddlers aim to make history on home soil!
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