The Indian table tennis community experienced a mix of emotions at the WTT Contender Buenos Aires 2025 on Saturday. While the unexpected defeat of Ayhika Mukherjee in the singles campaign came as a shock, fans found solace in the impressive performances of Ankur and Payas, who both advanced confidently to the semi-finals, keeping India’s hopes alive.
According to a Sportstar report, “Indian paddler Ayhika Mukherjee bowed out of the WTT Contender Buenos Aires on Saturday after losing her women’s singles quarterfinal match against Su Tsz Tung of Hong Kong, China.”
Moment Of Disappointment!
It’s a moment of disappointment as Manav Thakkar lost a straight-games match in the semifinals of the WTT Contender. Thakkar lost 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-5) to Mizuki Oikawa, and his tournament in Buenos Aires came to an end. Thakkar had earlier outplayed Malta’s Kim Taehyun to reach the quarterfinals in straight games.
Ayhika Mukherjee’s women’s singles campaign concluded in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 defeat (7-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-8) to Hong Kong’s Su Tsz Tung. Earlier, the World No. 94 Indian showcased her resilience, staging a thrilling comeback to defeat World No. 18 Takahashi in a deciding set in the first round, followed by a convincing victory over Brazil’s Karina Shiray in the round of 16.
In doubles play, Ankur and Payas staged a surprise, upsetting the third-seeded home pair of Horacio Cifuentes and Santiago Lorenzo 3-0 (12-10, 11-3, 11-6) in a 22-minute semifinal. The Indian duo will now meet Japanese qualifiers Kazuki Hamada and Hiromu Kobayashi in the title clash on Sunday.
