Manush, Diya eye ITTF Worlds success after winning maiden WTT Contender mixed doubles title

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale eye a deep run at the upcoming ITTF World Championships after clinching their maiden mixed doubles title at the WTT Contender level on Saturday.

“We will push to reach the quarterfinals at the World Championships (set to be held in Doha from May 17 to 25),” the 24-year-old Manush told  Sportstar from Havirov, Czechia, after a training session.

Manush and Diya, the current national champions in singles, stunned World No. 8 Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto of Japan 3-2 (11-9, 5-11, 14-12, 3-11, 11-6) to win the WTT Contender event in Tunis. It is only the second-ever title for an Indian mixed doubles pair at this level after the triumph of Manika Batra and G. Sathiyan in Budapest four years ago.

For Manush and Diya, currently ranked 11th in ITTF Rankings, the victory was also significant because the Japanese duo had defeated them 3-0 in the quarterfinals of WTT Star Contender Doha earlier this year.

“When we played in Doha, we were facing them for the first time. I felt there was a massive difference in the level. But this time, we had some strategies and knew what to expect from such a strong pair. The mental preparation helped us,” said Manush.

Manush and Diya started playing together in October 2023 after the Hangzhou Asian Games where the former had reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals with fellow Gujarati Manav Thakkar while the latter had made it to women’s doubles pre-quarters with Sreeja Akula. In its first event – the WTT Contender in Muscat – the pair reached the quarterfinals.

The duo’s form has witnessed an uptick this year. They reached the quarterfinals of the first three events before a run to the semifinals at the WTT Star Contender in Chennai and the victory in Tunis.

“Both of us like to be aggressive. Our playing styles suit each other,” said the 22-year-old Diya from Mumbai.

Manush pointed out that it took the two some time to adjust to each other’s footwork since he is left-handed while she holds the paddle with her right, but the duo kept at it to remain focussed on their vision. “We had stepping stones like Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Asian Championships, World Championships and finally, the Olympics, in mind. Unfortunately, the next Commonwealth Games doesn’t include table tennis. But we are looking forward to the World Championships and the Asian Games 2026,” said Manush, who has played 18 tournaments with Diya.

READ: Manush Shah, Diya Chitale win Mixed Doubles title at WTT Tunisia 2025

Eight of the world’s top 10 pairs have the left-right combination. To join their company and compete for bigger prizes, the duo has to improve a certain aspect of the discipline – the short game, referring to the exchange which happens close to the net with controlled shots. It doesn’t allow players like Manush and Diya to attack easily.

“This is something that the top pairs work on a lot. They don’t let us attack much with their receiving game. So, we have to learn to do the same to our opponents,” said Diya.

Since both Diya and Manush train in different cities for a major part of the year, practice at national camps and tournaments becomes extremely important. “We have the national camp from May 6 in Bengaluru to prepare for the World Championships. These camps are really helpful since we train and spend time together. It’s very important for that bonding,” she revealed.

“Now, we will also try to find more time to train together. We will find slots where either I go where he is or he comes where I am.”