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CWG 2014: Sharath & Co win but women team loses in TT event

Indian men`s table tennis team blanked hosts Scotland 3-0 to reach the semifinals but it was curtains for their women counterpart after they suffered a 1-3 loss to Singapore in the last four contest at the 20th Commonwealth Games here today.

Glasgow: Indian men`s table tennis team blanked hosts Scotland 3-0 to reach the semifinals but it was curtains for their women counterpart after they suffered a 1-3 loss to Singapore in the last four contest at the 20th Commonwealth Games here today.
Soumyajit Ghosh started the proceedings for Indian men`s team as he brushed aside 29-year-old Gavin Rumgay 11-6 11-5 11-6 to put India ahead at the Scotstoun Sports Campus. Experienced campaigner Achanta Sharath Kamal then took the court and notched up a 11-7 11-7 11-8 win over Craig Howieson to make it 2-0. The hosts needed a win in the third match to stay afloat but Harmeet Desai and Ghosh put paid to their hopes after beating the pair Sean Doherty and Craig 11-7 11-8 11-6 to complete the 3-0 drubbing. For the Indian women`s team, who had lost to Singapore at Delhi Games to settle for silver, Manika Batra was the only bright spot. Shamini Kumaresan was given the responsibility to give India a positive start but the Indian lost to Tienwei Feng 1-11 11-13 5-11 in the first match. Manika then played her heart out and eked out a 11-7 5-11 11-8 5-11 11-7 win over Mengyu Yu to help India draw level at 1-1 after the second match. Madhurika Patkar and Kumaresan then paired up but they could not get across Lin Ye and Mengyu as they went down 9-11 7-11 5-11 as Singapore were leading 2-1. In the fourth match, the onus was put on Manika again to bring India back in the contest. The Delhi girl tried her best before going down 9-11 11-9 6-11 5-11 as India crashed out of the competition. Earlier, the women`s team had defeated New Zealand 3-0 and Shamini Kumaresan played a vital role in the victory.