Mukherjees script a miracle in China, versus the Chinese

Sutirtha and Ayhika upset China's Cheng and Wang, at their den no less, to enter doubles semi-finals 

- Rutvick Mehta

Cheng Meng is the reigning Olympic singles champion in table tennis with 12 World Championships medals. Wang Yidi has three of them. Together, the two Chinese women grabbed the doubles gold at this year's World Championships in Durban.

Ranked doubles world No. 2 and seeded second at the Asian Games, the stage was set for them to live up to their billing in Hangzhou. Until they ran into a couple of Indians. A couple of Mukherjees, to be precise.

Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee scripted one of the most astonishing results at this Asian Games from an Indian viewpoint, flattening and foxing Cheng and Wang 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, at their den no less, in the quarter-finals on Saturday. It ensured a first table tennis medal in women's dou India the continental showpiece, a bronze at least that could yet be bettered.

"We combined well today, but the 2-0 lead helped us shift the pressure on the top pair," said Ayhika. "After all, we had nothing to lose and we wanted to attack from the beginning and worked to our advantage," said Sutirtha.