CWG 2022: Achanta Sharath Kamal in red hot form, advances to finals in two events

Ace Indian paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal assured India of at least two silver medals when he stormed into the finals of both the men's doubles and the mixed doubles events at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 (CWG 2022) in Birmingham on Saturday (August 6).

Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran beat Australia's Nicholas Lum and Minhyung Jee 3-2 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7) in a thrilling men’s doubles semi-final clash.

Sharath and Sreeja Akula then beat the Australian duo Nicholas Lum and Minhyung Jee 3-2 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7) to storm into the finals in the mixed doubles category.

Read: CWG 2022: Avinash Sable breaks national record again, wins silver medal in 3,000m steeplechase event

Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula will face Malaysia's Karen Lyne and Choong Jayen in the final. In the men's doubles final, Sharath and Sathiyan will meet England’s Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford.

In the women’s singles, Sreeja Akula put up a good show before suffering a narrow 3-4 defeat to Singapore’s Tianwei Feng. Sreeja lost 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12 to Feng in a pulsating seven-game marathon.

Achanta Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan progress to semi-finals in singles event

Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran also advanced to the semi-finals in the men’s singles category.

Sharath made short work of Singapore paddler Yong Izaac Quek 4-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7). Sathiyan, however, was stretched in his 4-2 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9) win by England’s Sam Walker.

However, it was curtains for Sanil Shetty, who squandered a one-game lead to go down to home favorite Liam Pitchford 1-4 (11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 8-11, 4-11).

In the women’s doubles, both Indian pairs — Sreeja Akula and Reeth Tennison, and Manika Batra and Diya Chitale — lost their respective quarter-finals matches.

Sreeja Akula and Reeth Tennison went down 14-16, 11-13, 11-6, 8-11 to Singapore's Wong Xin Ru and Zhou Jingyi while Manika Batra and Diya Chitale lost to Wales' Anna Hursey and Charlotte Carey 7-11, 6-11, 13-11, 10-12