Sharath Kamal, a veteran Indian table tennis player, recently concluded his remarkable campaign at the 2024 WTT Singapore Smash. His journey in the tournament was marked by a series of impressive victories, culminating in a quarterfinal match against France’s Felix Lebrun.
How did Sharath Kamal’s journey go in Singapore Smash 2024?
Kamal’s campaign began in the qualifying round, where he defeated Romania’s Andre Istrate, Yuta Tanaka of Japan, and Slovenia’s Deni Kozul. He then moved on to the main draw, where he registered a 3-0 victory over Chilean World No. 31 Nicolas Burgos in the round of 64.
In the round of 32, Kamal stunned the table tennis world by defeating World No. 13 Darko Jorgic. This victory propelled him into the round of 16, where he made history by becoming the first Indian paddler to reach the quarterfinals of the Singapore Smash. In this match, he defeated World No. 22 Omar Assar of Egypt in straight sets.
However, Kamal’s dream run came to an end in the quarterfinals, where he faced World No. 6 Felix Lebrun. Despite a valiant effort, Kamal lost the match 1-4 (9-11, 2-11, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11) in a contest that lasted just under 32 minutes.
END of Sharath Kamal's brilliant campaign at prestigious Singapore Smash.
Sharath lost to WR 6 Felix Lebrun 1-4 in QF.
Earlier Sharath won 3 Qualifying matches to enter main draw; beat WR 22 & WR 13 on the way to QF; becoming 1st ever 🇮🇳 paddler to do so. #SingaporeSmash https://t.co/xdpNSwB8BU pic.twitter.com/FTNJb5szbA
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) March 15, 2024
Despite the loss, Kamal’s performance in the tournament was nothing short of extraordinary. His victories over higher-ranked players and his journey from the qualifiers to the quarterfinal is a testament to his skill and determination. This dominant run in Singapore will earn him at least 350 ranking points, helping him climb into the top 40 of the ITTF singles rankings next week.
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