Achanta Sharath Kamal, India’s top table tennis player, has been making waves at the Singapore Smash 2024, a prestigious table tennis tournament. His latest achievement is advancing to the quarterfinals after a decisive victory over Egypt’s Omar Assar.
Sharath Kamal dominated the pre-quarters
Sharath Kamal, currently ranked 88th in the world, faced off against Omar Assar, who holds the 22nd spot in the world rankings. Despite the ranking disparity, Sharath Kamal showcased his prowess and determination, winning the match with a score of 3-0.
The match was a display of Sharath Kamal’s strategic brilliance and technical skill. He won the first set 11-4, demonstrating aggressive yet error-free table tennis. The second set saw a similar strategy, with Sharath Kamal’s consistent performance leading to an 11-8 victory.
The third set presented a challenge as Omar Assar accelerated to an 8-4 lead. However, Sharath Kamal quickly fought back to level terms at 8-8 and then 10-10 before taking two consecutive points to seal the match. The final scoreline of the match was 11-4, 11-8, 12-10 in favour of India.
Sharath Kamal’s journey to the quarterfinals was not easy. He had to battle his way through the qualifying rounds to secure a place in the main draw. He defeated Andre Istrate, Yuta Tanaka, and Slovenia’s Deni Kozul in the qualifying rounds before getting the better of Nicolas Burgos and Darko Jorgic in the first and second rounds of the main draw, respectively.
His quarter-final appearance marks the first time an Indian paddler has made it to the last eight of a WTT Grand Smash event. He will now take on the World No. 6 Felix Leburn of France in the quarterfinals.
Sharath, who is now ranked 88 is the lowest-ranked player in the top 8 of this prestigious event, which features all the world-class paddlers from across the globe. This win ensured Sharath a pack of 300+ ranking points, which meant he would be back in the top 40 world rankings after a long gap.
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