Akula loses but India taste plenty of success

India number one Sreeja Akula crashed out in the first round but the country's contingent enjoyed plenty of success in other matches with Diya Chitale and Manush Shah progressing to the second round of women’s and men’s singles competitions in the table tennis World Championships here Saturday.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

The Mukherjee duo - Ayhika and Sutirtha - and the pairing of Diya and Yashaswini Ghodpade also won their respective women’s doubles opening matches on the first day of the premier tournament.

The Indian pair of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah too tasted success in their first round men’s doubles match.

An error-prone Akula lost to Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut 1-4 (11-9 8-11 6-11 5-11 2-11) rather tamely.