CHENNAI : India’s paddlers produced an impressive show at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2026, with G Sathiyan battling into the men’s singles quarterfinals and the mixed doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and Yashaswini Ghorpade sealing a place in the final.
According to The New Indian Express, G Sathiyan staged a superb comeback to defeat Romania’s Eduard Ionescu 3-2 in a gripping pre-quarterfinal clash. After dropping the first and third games, Sathiyan rallied strongly to win 9-11, 11-3, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5 and book his place in the last eight. The victory marked one of his most determined performances of the tournament so far.
“I just focused on staying calm and playing point by point,” Sathiyan was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express, highlighting the composure that helped him turn the match around. He will next face Czech Republic’s Lubomir Jancarik in the quarterfinal.
In mixed doubles, the Indian combination of Harmeet Desai and Yashaswini Ghorpade delivered a clinical performance to defeat Payas Jain and Syndrela Das 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9) in the semifinals, as reported by The Hans India. The fourth-seeded duo controlled the tempo throughout the match to advance to the title clash.
They will now take on the Romanian pair of Eduard Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs in the final, setting up an exciting contest between two in-form teams.
Elsewhere, Snehit Suravajjula’s impressive run ended in the men’s singles, while India’s challenge in women’s singles concluded after Nithya Mani bowed out in the pre-quarterfinal stage, as per reports in The Hans India.
With Sathiyan carrying the singles hopes and Desai-Ghorpade eyeing the mixed doubles crown, the Chennai leg of the WTT Star Contender has entered a crucial phase for the Indian contingent.
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