World Table Tennis Star Contender Goa 2024: Archana Kamath shocks World No. 53 Shao to enter pre-quarters

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Mapusa (Goa), Jan 26: Young India table tennis player Archana Kamath delivered a stunning upset against Portugal's Jieni Shao, world number 53, securing her a spot in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals of the ongoing World Table Tennis Star Contender Goa 2024. The prestigious event is being held at the Peddem Indoor Stadium in Mapusa, Goa.

Hailing from Bengaluru, the 23-year-old Kamath, currently ranked 134th globally, faced a challenging start in the round-of-32 encounter, conceding the opening game to her higher-ranked adversary, Shao.

However, Kamath showcased remarkable resilience, bouncing back to claim victory in the next two games and ultimately sealing the match with a scoreline of 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5), earning her passage to the next stage of the tournament.

Reflecting on her triumph, Kamath expressed, "It was an intense match, and my opponent was relentless until the very end. I'm thrilled to have emerged victorious. Shao utilised various spins and constantly changed her tactics, presenting a challenging contest. However, I'm pleased to have managed the situation and secured the win."

The World Table Tennis Star Contender Goa 2024 is jointly organised by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).

In other developments, the Indian duo of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah bowed out of the tournament following a 1-3 defeat (7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11) against Kao Cheng-jui and Chuang Chih-yuan of Chinese Taipei in the men's doubles quarter-finals.

In the women's doubles quarter-finals, South Korea's Shin Yubin and Eon Jihee secured a convincing 3-0 victory (11-2, 12-10, 11-2) over Sayali Wani and Taneesha Kotecha, while the pair of Diya Chitale and Sreeja Akula suffered a 0-3 defeat (9-11, 8-11, 8-11) against Cheng I-ching and Li Yu-jhun of Chinese Taipei.

Despite a valiant effort, Manush and Diya succumbed to a 2-3 defeat (5-11, 11-6, 14-12, 8-11, 6-11) against the Spanish duo of Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao in the mixed doubles quarter-finals.

The men's singles category witnessed France's Felix Lebrun, ranked 8th globally, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory (11-6, 13-11, 18-16) over South Korea's Park Gyuhyeon to advance to the pre-quarterfinals. Meanwhile, England's Liam Pitchford emerged victorious in a closely contested match against Wong Chun Ting, prevailing with a scoreline of 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8).

In the women's singles category, France's Prithika Pavade staged a remarkable comeback, overcoming Ryu Hanna of South Korea with a score of 3-2 (9-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-3). Additionally, South Korea's Shin Yubin, ranked 8th globally, secured a thrilling 3-2 victory (11-5, 7-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-4) against compatriot Choi Hyojoo.

The semi-finals and finals of the tournament are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, offering fans the opportunity to witness world-class action by booking tickets on BookMyShow. Live coverage of the event will be available on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & Sony Sports Ten 2 HD channels on television and via live stream on the Sony Liv app.