Singapore Smash 2023 | Manika Batra and G Sathiyan reach mixed doubles quarterfinals
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Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran of India defeated Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Jian Zeng of Singapore on Monday to advance to the mixed doubles quarterfinals of the Singapore Smash 2023. After a bye in the first round, they beat round of 16 opponents 3-1 (11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 11-3) in 31 minutes.
Early dominance helped Manika Batra and G Sathiyan win the first game 11-7. The Indian team maintained their lead throughout the second game and won 12-10 to win the match. Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Jian Zeng came together in the third game to take on the Indians head-on. To win 12-9 and make it 2-1, the Singaporean duo scored four points in a row.
In the fourth game, Manika Batra and G Sathiyan united and reclaimed control of the contest. To win the game 11-3 and end the match, the Indians scored seven straight points. In the round of eight, Manika Batra and G Sathiyan will compete against Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, who both won silver medals at the world championships.
Tuesday's women's doubles match will feature Manika Batra and Archana Kamath, two of India's top women's singles players in table tennis. In the round of 16, the Chinese team of Meng Chen and Yidi Wang will square off against the Indian pair.
The Indian singles challenge was already terminated by the defeats of Manika Batra, G Sathiyan, and Sharath Kamal in their respective matches. On the other hand, the Indian team of Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar lost in the round of 32 in the men's doubles competition.
