Hangzhou Asian Games table tennis | Sutirtha-Aihika create history, reaches women's double semifinals

India's Sutirtha/Aihika shocked world champs Chen/Yidi to enter women's doubles semis, assuring India historic table tennis medal at Asian Games in Hangzhou. Manika Batra lost to Yidi Wang in quarterfinals, ending India's singles campaign.

Sutirtha Mukherjee and Aihika Mukherjee shocked world champion Chinese pair Chen Meng and Yidi Wang to enter the women's doubles semifinals, assuring India a historic table tennis medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on September 30.

In the quarterfinals, Sutirtha and Aihika won 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 and the victory over World No. 2 Chinese duo is all the more significant because India have never won a medal in the women's doubles event in the Asian Games.

The Indian players never allowed their superior opponents to settle down right from the go.

The Chinese duo was expected to roll over their opponents, and it happened precisely the opposite, as the Indians won the first game in just 8 minutes.

The trend followed in the second game too, as the Indians wrapped it in just 9 minutes as the Chinese players committed several unforced errors, particularly on the forehand.

The home side players mounted a brief fightback, winning the third game.

But the Indians regrouped quickly to assert themselves in the fourth game.