India’s men and women table tennis team booked their semi-final spots in the Commonwealth Games with relative ease, beating Malaysia in both the quarter-finals with an identical 3-0 margin.
In the men’s quarterfinal, world number 74 Harmeet Desai defeated Chee Feng Leong, ranked 272nd in the world, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6.
(Read more: Follow all the updates on an action-packed day three for India here.)
In the first game, Desai racked up nine straight points and opened up a huge advantage against his Malaysian opponent. The second saw him stretched to a tie-break but Desai kept his nerve to win the game 12-10, before wrapping it up in the third.
The second one saw India’s number two Achanta Sharath Kamal go up against Muhammad Ashraf Haiqal. Kamal followed Harmeet in conceding no games, registering a facile victory. Kamal won 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 to leave India once match short of a semi-final spot.
The Indian paddlers then won their doubles match comfortably with the country’s top-ranked player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, teaming up with Desai, defeated Leong and Javen Choong 11-7, 11-6, 11-7.
India will face Singapore, who defeated Canada 3-2, in the first semi-final on April 9. Singapore will be led by world number 47 Ning Gao.
Women to face England
The Indian women defeated the same opponent, Malaysia by a similar 3-0 margin. Manika Batra, India’s number one and world number 58, got the ball rolling when she defeated Malaysia’s Ho Ying 11-9, 11-7, 11-7.
The 88th ranked Madhurika Patkar then overcame Karen Lyne in four games, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3. Patkar along with Mouma Das made sure of India’s progression as they beat Ying and Tee Ai Xin 11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-7.
England, having won their quarter-final against Canada 3-1, will face India in the semis on Sunday.
