India's men’s singles challenge at the 2025 WTT Singapore Smash came to an abrupt halt on Sunday, with both Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manav Thakkar suffering early exits in the first round.
Despite showing moments of resilience, both players were unable to progress beyond the opening stage of the tournament.
Achanta Sharath Kamal, India's veteran table tennis player, had entered the tournament with a direct qualification into the main draw, thanks to his world ranking. In his opening match, he faced Kao Cheng-Jui from Chinese Taipei.
The match was a hard-fought battle lasting just under 37 minutes, with both players trading momentum throughout. However, despite his best efforts, Kamal eventually lost in a closely contested five-game encounter, going down 2-3 with scores of 2-11, 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 4-11.
The match began poorly for Kamal, who struggled to find his rhythm, allowing Kao to dominate the first game 11-2. Yet, the 42-year-old displayed his vast experience in the following two games, recovering well to win them 11-5 and 11-8, taking a 2-1 lead.
At that point, it seemed like Kamal was on the verge of taking control of the match. However, Kao rallied back strongly, winning the fourth game 11-7 to force a deciding fifth game.
In the final game, Kamal struggled to keep pace with Kao's aggressive play and conceded quick points, allowing the Taiwanese player to seal the match 11-4. Kamal's defeat was a disappointment for his supporters, who had hoped for a deeper run in the competition.
Later in the day, Manav Thakkar, one of India's rising stars, faced Singapore's Pang Koen in another closely contested match. The 24-year-old from Surat had fought his way through the qualification rounds, but his campaign came to an end in a tough 2-3 loss.
The match, which lasted 41 minutes, saw Thakkar take the first game 11-9, but Pang quickly regained his composure to win the next two games 11-9 and 11-8, taking a 2-1 lead.
Thakkar showed great resilience, fighting back to win the fourth game 11-7 and forcing a decider. The fifth and final game was a tense affair, with both players playing under considerable pressure.
However, Pang, buoyed by the support of the home crowd, kept his composure and clinched the final game 11-8, sealing Thakkar's exit from the tournament.
With both Sharath Kamal and Manav Thakkar making early exits, India's hopes in the men’s singles category at the WTT Singapore Smash 2025 came to an end in the opening round.
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