India overcame a 0-2 deficit to defeat Spain 3-2 in the women’s Group match of the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, advancing to the knockouts (Round of 32). India finished second in its group, trailing China. Spain, seeded 30 to India’s 17, was expected to be an easy opponent. But it wasn’t like that.
India’s two finest paddlers, Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra, lost to Maria Xiao and Sofia-Xuan Zhang, respectively. Ayhika Mukherjee supplied India’s much-needed lifeline with a five-game triumph over Elvira Red. After Elvira rallied to win the fourth game, Ayhika held firm in the fifth and final game, taking a 6-2 lead and rarely allowing the Spaniard a chance.