Indian singles contingent disappoints at Singapore Smash
No Indian paddler managed to reach the second round of the Singapore Smash on Monday.
Manav Thakkar, the only Indian in the men’s draw, went down 1-3 (8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 3-11) to China’s Huang Youzheng.
In women’s singles, Manika Batra fought hard before losing 1-3 (10-12, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11) to Zhu Yuling, the fourth seed from Macao, China.
India No. 1 Sreeja Akula, coming back from a shoulder injury and playing her first tournament since last October, also suffered a 1-3 (8-11, 5-11, 11-8, 5-11) defeat against Welsh paddler Anna Hursey.
However, Diya Chitale had a successful day in both doubles categories.
In the women’s event, Diya and Yashaswini Ghorpade won 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8) against Australian duo Minhyung Jee and Constantina Psihogios to reach the round of 16.
In mixed doubles, the sixth-seeded pair of Diya and Manush Shah, who received a first-round bye, booked its spot in the quarterfinals with a solid 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-5) over Singaporean wildcards Pang Koen and Zeng Jian.
Published on Feb 23, 2026