CWG 2022: Sharath Kamal Assures India of Two More Medals in Table Tennis

The 40-year-old star paddler reached the finals of both the men's and mixed doubles events.

India's mixed doubles pair of Sharath Kamal and Akula Sreeja in action against Lum Nicholas and JEE Minhyung of Australia during mixed doubles table tennis semi-final match at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

(Photo: PTI)

Star paddler Sharath Kamal continued his sensational run to reach the finals of both the men's and mixed doubles events and assure India of at least two more medals at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

Sharath first paired up with G Sathiyan to beat the Australian pair of Nicholas Lum and Finn Luu 3-2 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7) in a thrilling men's doubles semifinal clash.

The Indian duo will face England's Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford in the gold medal match.

Sharath then combined with the young Sreeja Akula to enter the mixed doubles final with a sizzling 3-2 win over the Australian duo of Nicholas Lum and Minhyung Jee.

The Indian pair eked out a 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7 win and will fight for the gold against Malaysians Karen Lyne and Choong Jayen.

In the women's singles too, Sreeja put up a good show before suffering a narrow 3-4 defeat to Singapore's Tianwei Feng.

Akula lost 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12 to Feng in a pulsating semi-final.

However, it was a disappointing end to Manika Batra's campaign at the showpiece after she and her women's doubles partner Diya Parag Chitale lost 1-3 against Wales' pairing of Charlotte Carey and Anna Hursey in the quarterfinals.

Manika had won four medals, including two golds, at Gold Coast but she will have to return empty handed from Birmingham after failing to reach the podium in a single event.

Earlier, Sharath and Sathiyan progressed to the semifinals of the men's singles event.

While Sharath made short work of Singapore player Yong Izaac Quek 4-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7), Sathiyan was stretched in his 4-2 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12 11-9) win by England's Sam Walker.

"It was a great match, all credit to Sam, he fought really hard. I really should have closed in that fifth set but I was a bit nervous," Sathiyan said.

"I have never beaten Sam, so this came into my mind and it was not so easy to play in a big match like this. I kept my cool in the end and I took the match to get my first (Commonwealth Games) semifinal so I'm really happy," he added.

However, it was curtains for Sanil Shetty, who squandered a one-game lead to go down to home favourite Liam Pitchford 1-4 (11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 8-11, 4-11).

In the other women's doubles match Sreeja Akul and Reeth Tennison lost to Ru Xing Wong and JIngyi Zhou of Singapore 14-16, 11-13, 11-6, 8-11.