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Indian table tennis reached a historic milestone on Thursday, January 9, 2025, as the men’s doubles pair of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar stormed into the semifinals of the WTT Star Contender Doha 2025 at the Lusail Sports Arena.
Their stunning performance against the Hong Kong duo of Kwan Man Ho and Lam Siu Hang not only secured their place in the final four but also made them as the first Indian men’s doubles pair to achieve this feat in a WTT Star Contender event.
The quarterfinal match was a display of sheer dominance from the Indian duo, who registered a comprehensive 3-0 straight-game victory. The contest, lasting just over 20 minutes, saw Shah and Thakkar take control early on and never relinquish their grip. They clinched the opening game comfortably, winning 11-5, before turning the screws further in the second game with an 11-3 victory. The pair then sealed their place in the semifinals with a commanding 11-6 win in the third game.
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Their statistical superiority was evident throughout the match. The Indians excelled on their serves, scoring 14 points, and capitalized effectively on their opponents’ serves, winning 19 points compared to the Hong Kong pair’s nine.
Other Indian results on Day 2 of the WTT Star Contender Doha 2025
Elsewhere on Day 2, Indian results were a mixed bag. Manika Batra, one of India’s top table tennis stars, suffered an early exit in the women’s singles, losing 1-3 to the Netherlands’ Britt Eerland in the Round of 32. However, Sreeja Akula provided a silver lining by advancing to the next round with a 3-1 win over Portugal’s Jieni Shao.
In the men’s doubles category, while Shah and Thakkar celebrated their success, the other Indian pair of Sharath Kamal and Suravajjula Snehit faced disappointment, bowing out after a 0-3 loss to Japan’s formidable duo of Harimoto Tomokazu and Matsushima Sora. In the mixed doubles quarterfinals, Manush Shah and Diya Chitale were eliminated following a 0-3 defeat to Japan’s Matsushima Sora and Harimoto Miwa.
The action will continue later in the day, with Manav Thakkar taking on Matsushima Sora and Sharath Kamal facing Huang Youzheng in their respective men’s singles Round of 32 matches.
