Tunis, Tunisia – Indian table tennis players Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee etched their names in the record books as they clinched the women’s doubles title at the WTT Contender Tunis 2023. The duo displayed exceptional skill and resilience to defeat the Japanese pair of Miyuu Kihara and Miwa Harimoto in an exhilarating final held at the Sports Hall of Rades on Sunday.
Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee showcased their prowess by outplaying their opponents, securing a 3-1 victory with a scoreline of 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11. Their stellar performance in the final capped off a remarkable campaign, making them the first Indian table tennis players to clinch a WTT Contender title this year.
The Indian duo’s path to the final was marked by impressive victories over formidable opponents. In the semifinals, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee defeated top-seeded Shin Yubin and Jeon Ji-hee from the Republic of Korea, who had previously won the silver medal at the World Championships. The Indian pair’s dominant display in the semis set the stage for their title-winning showdown.
Earlier in the tournament, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee made a strong statement by eliminating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Huang Yi-Hua, bronze medalists from the 2022 world championships, in the quarterfinals. They continued their impressive run by defeating Amy Wang and Rachel Sung from the USA in the opening round.
In the mixed doubles event, India’s Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran showcased their skills by reaching the semifinals. However, they were unable to overcome the formidable Korean duo of Shin Yubin and Lim Jonghoon, who ultimately advanced to the final.
Meanwhile, India’s men’s doubles pair of Manav Vikash Thakkar and Manush Utpalbhai Shah demonstrated their mettle by reaching the semifinals. Their impressive campaign came to an end against the Korean pair of Cho Daeseong and Cho Seungmin.
However, it was not smooth sailing for the Indian contingent in the singles categories. Commonwealth Games 2022 champion Sharath Kamal and his compatriot Sathiyan Gnanasekaran faced early exits in the first round of the men’s singles. Harmeet Desai also faltered in the pre-quarterfinals.
In the women’s singles category, Manika Batra failed to progress beyond the first round, while Ayhika Mukherjee, a Tokyo Olympian, managed to make it to the second round, being the only Indian women’s table tennis player to do so.
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