Manav Thakkar made history at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 on Saturday by becoming the first Indian male player to reach the WTT Star Contender semifinal.
Thakkar clinched victories in consecutive five-game thrillers against Andre Bertelsmeier and South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon, an Olympic medallist, to reach the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Sharath Kamal displayed a spirited exhibition in his final match against Egypt’s Omar Assar, later in the day.
“Somewhere down the line, I had felt it’s enough and I wanted to explore the possibility of giving back to the sport from the other side of the court. I have done my part as a player, I feel I have contributed enough to the country as a player, and I want to contribute from the other side, as an administrator, a coach, a mentor, or even as just a senior player,” Sharath said, while thanking family, friends, fans, employers IndianOil, SDAT, Stupa Sports Analytics, Ultimate Table Tennis, TTFI, and ITTF.
In the men’s doubles, South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and An Jae-hyun beat Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima 3-1 to clinch the men’s doubles title.
The Women’s Doubles match turned out to be a mixed-bag as Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara battled past Shin Yu-bin and Ryu Hanna sealing a victory in the deciding game.
WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), under the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), boasts 600 ranking points for winners and a USD 275,000 prize purse, with top global paddlers in action.
2025 WTT Star Contender Chennai Results
Men’s Singles (Round of 16): Manav Thakkar (IND) Vs. Andre Bertelsmeier (GER) 3-2: 10-12, 12-10, 15-13, 6-11, 11-5; Oh Jun-sung (KOR) [12] Vs. Omar Assar (EGY) [5] 3-1: 11-3, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4; Tomislav Pucar (CRO) [15] Vs. Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN) [1] 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 13-15, 11-4; Flavien Coton (FRA) Vs. Sora Matsushima (JPN) [8] 3-2: 11-9, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8; Lim Jong-hoon (KOR) [16] Vs. Hugo Calderano (BRA) [2] Vs. 13-11, 12-10, 7-11, 4-11, 11-7; Jonathan Groth (DEN) [3] Vs. Liao Cheng-Ting (TPE) 3-1: 11-6, 11-9, 5-11, 11-3; Snehit Suravajjula (IND) [WC] Vs. Achanta Sharath Kamal (IND) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-9; Thibault Poret (FRA) Vs. Feng Yi-Hsin (TPE) 3-2: 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9
Quarterfinals: Oh Jun-sung (KOR) [12] Vs. Tomislav Pucar (CRO) [15] 3-1: 12-10, 7-11, 13-11, 11-4; Thibault Poret (FRA) Vs. Snehit Suravajjula (IND) [WC] 3-1: 11-4, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6; Flavien Coton (FRA) Vs. Jonathan Groth (DEN) [3] 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-8; Manav Thakkar (IND) Vs. Lim Jong-hoon (KOR) [16] 3-2: 5-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-6, 11-1;
Women’s Singles (Round of 16): Kim Nayeong (KOR) Vs. Satsuki Odo (JPN) [3] 3-1: 11-6,11-8, 6-11, 11-6; Joo Cheonhui (KOR) [11] Vs. Miyuu Kihara (JPN) [7] 3-1: 11-4, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7; Yuan Wan (GER) Vs Huang Yu-Jie (TPE) 3-1: 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9; Miyuu Nagasaki (JPN) [8] Vs. Krittwika Roy (IND) [WC] 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-7; Shin Yu-bin (KOR) [4] Vs. Lee Eun-hye (KOR) [16] 3-2: 8-11, 8-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-8; Adriana Diaz (PUR) [6] Vs. Huang Yi-Hua (TPE) [12] 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-7; Miwa Harimoto (JPN) [2] Vs. Sakura Yokoi (JPN) [14] 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-9; Honoka Hashimoto (JPN) [13] Vs. Hina Hayata (JPN) [1] 3-2: 6-11, 4-11, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10
Quarterfinals: Shin Yu-bin (KOR) [4] Vs. Miyu Nagasaki (JPN) [8] 3-0: 11-3, 12-10, 11-8; Honoka Hashimoto (JPN) [13] Vs. Joo Cheonhui (KOR) [11] 3-1: 11-6. 11-2, 11-13, 11-6; Miwa Harimoto (JPN) [2] Vs. Yuan Wan (GER) 3-1: 11-8, 3-11, 11-6, 11-4; Kim Nayeong (KOR) Vs. Adriana Diaz (PUR) [6] 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 12-10
Men’s Doubles (Final): Lim Jong-hoon (KOR)/An Jae-hyun (KOR) [3] Vs. Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN)/Sora Matsushima (JPN) [1] 3-1: 11-4, 11-13, 11-2, 11-3
Women’s Doubles (Final): Miwa Harimoto (JPN)/Miyuu Kihara (JPN) [3] Vs. Shin Yu-bin (KOR)/Ryu Hanna (KOR) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 12-14, 11-5.
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