Sharath Kamal Achanta Writes New Chapter in Indian Sporting History

Monday, July 12, 2010

ITTF Press Release

India 29 year old Sharath Kamal ACHANTA and Japan’s 20 year old Yuka ISHIGAKI won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the Egypt Open in Cairo on Sunday 11th July 2010.

Sharath Kamal ACHANTA, seeded no.6, took a distinct liking to adversaries from Hong Kong, beating players from that association in both semi-final and final encounters.

At the penultimate stage he defeated JIANG Tianyi, the no.2 seed; in the final, LI Ching, the no.1 seed.

It was the first Men’s Singles title on the ITTF Pro Tour for Sharath Kamal ACHANTA, as it was for Yuka ISHIGAKI in the counterpart Women’s Singles event.

Seeded no.4, she used her secure defensive skills to good effect to beat Hong Kong’s ZHANG Rui at the semi-final stage and Turkey’s HU Melek, the no. 3 seed, in the final.

It was the second time in the tournament that HU Melek and Yuka ISHIGAKI had met; one day earlier Yuka ISHIGAKI had prevailed in a close seven games encounter at the penultimate stage of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event before losing to Romania’s Elizabeta SAMARA in the final.

Certainly Yuka ISHIGAKI had learnt from the experience.

Success for Japan in the Women’s Singles event and also in the Women’s Doubles competition where top seeds, Sayaka HIRANO and Reiko HIURA defeated second seeds, Hong Kong’s LIN Ling and ZHANG Rui at the final hurdle.

Disappointment for Hong Kong but there was success, JIANG Tianyi and LEUNG Chu Yan combined to win the Men’s Doubles crown; in the final they beat the partnership of Russia’s Mikhail GLADYSHEV and SAbdel-Kader SALIFOU of France.

The victory secured by Sayaka HIRANO and Reiko HIURA was their third as a partnership on the ITTF Pro Tour, for JIANG Tianyi and LEUNG Chu Yan it was their first.

Men’s Singles
Semi-Finals
LI Ching (HKG) bt El-Sayed LASHIN (EGY) 12-10, 11-2, 12-14, 11-6, 11-4
Sharath Kamal ACHANTA (IND) bt JIANG Tianyi (HKG) 11-6, 11-6, 14-16, 12-10, 11-9

Final
Sharath Kamala ACHANTA (IND) bt LI Ching (HKG) 11-4, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4

Women’s Singles
Semi-Finals
HU Melek (TUR) bt Linda CREEMERS (NED) 12-10, 11-9, 6-11, 11-2, 11-6
Yuka ISHIGAKI (JPN) bt ZHANG Rui (HLG) 9-11, 4-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9

Final
Yuka ISHIGAKI (JPN) bt HU Melek (TUR) 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-7

Men’s Doubles
Final
JIANG Tianyi/LEUNG Chu Yan (HKG) bt Mikhail GLADYSHEV/Abdel-Kader SALIFOU IRUS/FRA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7

Women’s Doubles
Final
Sayaka HIRANO/Reiko HIURA (JPN) bt LIN Ling/ZHANG Rui (HKG) 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 11-3

Read More: http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=21504&Competition_ID=1961&

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