Swastika Ghosh produced one of the biggest upsets of her international career before bowing out in the Round of 16 at the WTT Contender in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Indian paddler, ranked 149th in the world, defeated second seed Miyuu Kihara of Japan on Wednesday, the World No. 25, 3-1 in the opening round. Swastika’s run ended against Russia’s Vlada Voronina, who beat her in straight games in Thursday’s pre-quarterfinal.

“This is one of the most significant moments of my journey so far. I hope I can build on it and keep improving my game, performance and ranking,” Swastika told The Hindu.

The victory came after a difficult period in which a medical problem disrupted her progress. Swastika was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst in 2024 after undergoing a routine sports-medicine check-up prompted by a bleeding issue and an unusually high resting heart rate.

She managed the condition and bouts of pain for nearly a year before undergoing surgery earlier this year. The procedure forced her to withdraw from the singles events at the National Table Tennis Championship and also affected her Asian Games prospects.

Since returning to competition, however, Swastika has steadily rebuilt her form. She was part of India’s gold-medal-winning team at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in August, is the first standby for the Asian Games and reached the semifinals of the season-opening National Ranking tournament in Kanpur last week.

The win over Kihara was another significant step, particularly against an opponent ranked more than 100 places above her.

“I wanted to pass a message to others, and also to give confidence to myself that I belong here,” Swastika said.

With the international season gathering pace, Swastika’s immediate challenge will be to convert the Almaty upset into more consistent performances against higher-ranked opponents.

Three weeks ago, he fell two points short of lifting the trophy at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship (CTTC) in his hometown New Delhi.

But on Sunday here, Payas Jain didn’t let history repeat itself. For the 21-year-old, the time since the CTTC has not been about chasing results. It has been about sticking to a process. That process bore fruit in emphatic fashion as Payas outplayed reigning National champion Manav Thakkar to win the season-opening National ranking tournament at The Sportz Hub.

“Nothing has changed,” Payas told The Hindu. “Before the Commonwealth Championship, I was trying to follow the process. Even after the Commonwealth Championship, I was just trying to follow the process. The Asian Games is coming up, my main goal is to win a medal for India there.”

What changed, however, was the manner in which Payas went about his business. Against one of the strongest defensive players in Indian men’s table tennis, he refused to be hurried. He stayed in the rallies, waited for the opportunity to turn, and passed Manav with the precision that had also been evident in his service receiving.

Everything, he insisted, was intentional. “Whether it was my body language, shot-making, strategy or tactics. The fact that everything was intentional reflected on the table. I know how Manav plays. He knows how I play. So, I was prepared for everything,” Payas said. “It was a great match. I actually played well and I was feeling very confident.”

That confidence grew as the final progressed. Payas sensed the rhythm after the opening game and, rather than attempting to force the issue, trusted his ability to remain in the exchanges until the opening appeared.

“I knew that Manav was not going to miss so soon and that it was going to be a tough fight,” he said. “I was just ready to be on the table irrespective of whether he was playing with speed or power. Whenever I was getting the chance, I was able to turn and pass.”

A member of India’s Asian Games squad, he put together a strong domestic season and finished second in the National rankings. He is closing in on a place in the world’s top 100. Payas is still awaiting inclusion in the Sports Authority of India’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme list of promising athletes. The Asian Games medal, though, remains the bigger target. Sunday’s crown was simply another step towards it.

Syndrela Das marked her 17th birthday in style, claiming a double crown, while Payas Jain bounced back from the disappointment of losing the Commonwealth Championship final three weeks ago to headline the final day of the UTT National ranking table tennis tournament at The Sportz Hub here on Sunday.

On an action-packed day, the senior paddlers negotiated their last three rounds while the youth events reached their climax. Syndrela, who played seven matches without dropping one game, outclassed fellow teenager Divyanshi Bhowmick in the women’s final.

Divyanshi, fresh from winning the under-17 title and having bowed out to Ananya Muralidharan in the U-19 semifinal, tried hard to disrupt Syndrela’s rhythm. But the Kolkata paddler’s trademark backhand winners proved decisive. Earlier, Syndrela had accounted for Ananya in the youth girls’ final.

The men’s final, between two members of India’s Asian Games squad, produced more engrossing rallies. Payas’ assured service receiving helped him breach Manav Thakkar’s defensive fort as he battled his way to a five-game victory.

In the youth boys’ final, Priyanuj Bhattacharyya edged Abhinandh P.B. in a 65-minute thriller. Despite conceding the fifth-game tie-break 21-23, Priyanuj responded with an aggressive approach to pocket the next two games and seal the title.

The results: Men: Final: Payas Jain (Del) bt Manav Thakkar (PSPB) 11-3, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8. Semifinals: Payas bt Jeet Chandra (RSPB) 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 1-11, 11-7; Manav bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (Har) 12-10, 13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8.

Women: Final: Syndrela Das (WB) bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9. Semifinals: Divyanshi bt Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) 11-4, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-2; Syndrela bt Swastika Ghosh (PSPB) 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9.

Youth (U-19): Boys: Final: Priyanuj Bhattacharrya (RSPB) bt Abhinandh P.B. (TN) 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 21-23, 11-4, 11-7. Semifinals: Priyanuj bt Punit Biswas (WB) 11-7, 11-5, 11-3; Abhinandh bt Soham Mukherjee (WB) 12-10, 12-10, 11-9.

Girls: Final: Syndrela bt Ananya Muralidharan (TN) 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4. Semifinals: Syndrela bt Naisha Rewaskar (Mah) 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7; Ananya bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 11-5, 2-11, 11-7, 11-7.

Ankur Bhattacharjee and Yashaswini Ghorpade emerged as the men’s and women’s singles champions as India capped a dominant campaign by winning four of the five gold medals at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex here on Sunday.

The men’s final, featuring two of the brightest prospects in Indian table tennis, lived up to the expectations. In a pulsating 70-minute contest, Ankur staged a stirring comeback to overcome Payas Jain, making a strong statement after narrowly missing out on a place in India’s Asian Games squad.

Yashaswini, meanwhile, added a major title to her growing resume by defeating the fancied Sreeja Akula. Both the finalists had been pushed to the limit in the semifinals earlier in the day. Yashaswini had edged teenager Syndrela Das 11-9 in the deciding game, while Sreeja had survived an equally stern examination from Olympian Sutirtha Mukherjee to win by the same margin.

The draining last-four match, however, left little trace on Yashaswini. She quickly settled into the final, repeatedly finding the mark with her forehand topspins to deny Sreeja any rhythm. The victory served as redemption after she and Divyanshi Bhowmick had gone down to Sreeja and Syndrela in the women’s doubles summit clash earlier on Sunday.

Yashaswini added a major title to her growing resume.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

While the women’s title battle was largely one-sided, the men’s final ebbed and flowed throughout. Payas’ powerful forehand topspins initially outweighed Ankur’s trademark backhand winners as the Delhi paddler moved within a game of the crown at 3-2.

But Ankur showed remarkable improvement while receiving, reeling off nine consecutive points in the sixth game to force a decider.

The seventh game brought another twist. A yellow card for protesting Payas’ service appeared to disrupt Ankur’s concentration as he slipped 4-7 behind. But the Kolkata youngster used his timeout to regroup, returned with renewed purpose and completed a memorable comeback to earn the biggest title of his career.

The results (Indians unless specified):

Men: Singles: Final: Ankur Bhattacharjee bt Payas Jain 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 11-9; Semifinals: Payas bt Manush Shah 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 12-10, 11-9; Ankur bt Manav Thakkar 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8. Doubles: Final: Shen Qi Wong & Javen Choong (Mas) bt Manav & Manush 11-9, 12-10, 11-7.

Women: Singles: Final: Yashaswini Ghorpade bt Sreeja Akula 11-6, 11-1, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11; Semifinals: Sreeja bt Syndrela Das 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9; Yashaswini bt Sutirtha Mukherjee 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-4, 11-9. Doubles: Final: Sreeja & Syndrela bt Yashaswini & Divyanshi Bhowmick 11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 11-6.

Mixed doubles: Final: Taneesha Kotecha & Manav bt Ai Xin Tee & Richard Rui Zhe Yap (Mas) 11-8, 10-12, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5.

Spanish veteran Alvaro Robles starred with another flawless display as Dempo Goa Challengers outclassed Dabang Delhi TTC 8-2 to storm into its third Ultimate Table Tennis final in four seasons at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Friday.

The lanky left-hander remained unbeaten across all six of his games — singles and mixed doubles — ensuring Goa’s march to the title clash was never seriously threatened.

Robles’ clinical showing also meant Bernadette Szocs’ unexpected 2-1 loss to Maria Xiao did little to dent the home side’s momentum. By the time the mixed doubles concluded, Goa had surged to a commanding 7-2 lead, leaving Delhi with a near-impossible task.

Teenager P.B. Abhinandh then sealed the deal with a spirited comeback against Delhi captain G. Sathiyan. Needing to avoid conceding even a single game to keep Delhi alive, Sathiyan raced to a 5-2 lead in the opening game. But Abhinandh found his range with a succession of forehand topspin winners, reeling off seven straight points to seize control. Although Sathiyan fought back to level at 9-9, the Goa youngster held his nerve on his two service points to seal the game and spark celebrations among the home supporters.

Robles had laid the platform earlier in the evening by dominating the all-left-handed contest against Egypt’s Youssef Abdulaziz. His superior reach and heavy forehand sidespin repeatedly unsettled the Delhi paddler as he pocketed the opening two games. Abdulaziz came within touching distance of pulling one back after earning two game points in the third, but Robles produced another timely comeback before forcing a backhand error on the golden point.

Maria’s impressive victory over Szocs briefly revived Delhi’s hopes, but Robles again proved decisive. Partnering teenager Syndrela Das in the mixed doubles, he expertly controlled the contest despite a few nervy moments from his partner, completing a clean sweep that effectively sealed Goa’s place in the final.

The result: Semifinal:Dempo Goa Challengers bt Dabang Delhi TTC 8-2 (Alvaro Robles bt Youssef Abdulaziz 11-8, 11-4, 11-10, Bernadette Szocs lost to Maria Xiao 11-10, 6-11, 4-11, Robles & Syndrela Das bt G. Sathiyan & Maria 11-9, 11-8, 11-3, P. B. Abhinandh bt G. Sathiyan 11-9).

Saturday’s semifinal: HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades vs U Mumba TT.

Sweden’s Peter Karlsson admitted that he was “a bit stubborn” during his playing days, but only in the sense that he possessed an unshakeable belief in his own abilities.

That unwavering self-confidence was one of the driving forces behind a glittering career in which he won five World Table Tennis Championships titles — four team (Dortmund 1989, Chiba 1991, Gothenburg 1993 and Kuala Lumpur 2000) and one men’s doubles (in 1991 with Thomas von Scheele) — and climbed to a career-high world ranking of No. 10 in singles.

The 57-year-old believes that the same trait has largely shaped his successful coaching career spanning nearly two decades. During an interaction with the media at a meet-and-greet event organised by UTT franchise HVR Kolkata Thunderblades, at the South Goa Table Tennis Council on Wednesday, Karlsson was categorical in saying that Indian table tennis’ next big leap would depend on how effectively the gap between outstanding junior success and sustained excellence at the senior level could be bridged.

“India is ranked 13th in the world in men’s and 16th in women’s. It has achieved amazing results. Now, it starts to become really difficult to take the next step. And there, I think, what Ultimate Table Tennis is doing is fantastic,” he said.

At the same time, the legend, who has worked with Sweden’s leading players, including 2019 World Championships men’s singles silver medallist Mattias Karlsson (formerly Mattias Falck), besides guiding the careers of Kristian Karlsson and Anton Kallberg, added: “It’s going to be very interesting to see if India can transform good youth and junior players into good senior players. Because on the youth side, India is doing extremely well. If you see the results on the youth side and convert them into the senior side, India could be in the top five.”

The odds were firmly stacked against Dabang Delhi’s Maria Xiao when she walked out to face U Mumba TT’s Anusha Kutumbale in the fifth and deciding match of the Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

Moments earlier, Mumba’s Lilian Bardet had edged past G. Sathiyan 2-1 in a fiercely contested singles match to hand the defending champion a 7-5 lead. With just one game needed from the final match to secure the tie, the advantage lay squarely on Anusha. Though Anusha lost the first two games, she came up with an excellent counter-attacking effort in the third to win the game that mattered to give U Mumba its first win of the season 8-7.

Mumba’s Manush Shah has not been at his best in this edition. If there has been one glaring weakness in his game, it has been a lack of consistency.

Against Youssef Abdelaziz in the opening match, Manush seldom displayed the patience or discipline needed to build points. Particularly in the opening game, he appeared eager to end rallies too quickly, going for ambitious winners before constructing the point.

The resulting unforced errors prevented him from finding any rhythm and he lost 1-2. Mumba’s Anna Hursey extended her unbeaten run in the singles, with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sutirtha Mukherjee, to level the tie at 3-3.

It was a huge upset in the third match as Manush found his attacking touch and Anna kept within herself as the mixed doubles pair outwitted Sathiyan and Maria Xiao to swing the momentum in Mumba’s favour at 5-4.

The results: U Mumba TT bt Delhi Dabang 8-7 (Manush Shah lost to Youssef Abdelaziz 11-9, 11-4, 6-11; Anna Hursey bt Sutirtha Mukherjee 9-11, 11-7, 11-6; Manush & Anna bt Sathiyan & Maria Xiao 11-4, 8-11, 11-8; Lilian Bardet bt Sathiyan 11-10, 8-11, 11-8; Anusha Kutumbale lost to Maria Xiao 10-11, 9-11, 11-10).