Aichi-Nagoya, 22 September (H.S.): The Indian women’s table tennis team secured a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Asian Games with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Thailand on Tuesday. India staged an impressive comeback in a thrilling five-match encounter to book their place in the last eight.

India will now face North Korea in the quarter-finals, with the latter having received a bye in the Round of 16.

Yashaswini Ghorpade played a pivotal role in India’s comeback, contributing two crucial victories, while Sreeja Akula held her nerve under pressure in the deciding match to seal India’s passage into the quarter-finals.

In the opening match, Thailand’s Orawan Paranang produced a spirited comeback to defeat India’s top-ranked player, Sreeja Akula, 3-2. Paranang won 7-11, 1-11, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10 to give Thailand an early advantage.

India responded through Yashaswini Ghorpade, who defeated Suthasini Sawettabut 3-2 to level the tie. Ghorpade prevailed 11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 in a closely fought contest.

Thailand regained the lead in the third match, with Jinnipa Sawettabut defeating Diya Chitale 3-2. Jinnipa secured a 13-11 victory in the deciding game after winning 11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 11-7 in the first four games to put Thailand 2-1 ahead.

With India needing another win to stay alive, Ghorpade once again delivered. The Maharashtra paddler defeated Orawan Paranang 3-0 in straight games, winning 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 to level the tie at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth match.

In the decider, Sreeja Akula faced Suthasini Sawettabut. After losing the opening game, Akula showed remarkable composure and fought back strongly to win the next three games. She completed a 3-1 victory, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8, securing India’s place in the quarter-finals.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar