Indian men produced a determined comeback to defeat Slovakia 3โ2 in a thrilling Group 7 clash at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships.
With the victory, India moved to the top of the group standings, boosting their prospects ahead of their upcoming tie against Guatemala.
The encounter swung back and forth before India eventually prevailed, showing composure and resilience in crucial moments.ย Slovakia made a strong start as Lubomir Pistej, ranked 149, relied on his experience to outplay Manush Shah (ranked 51) in a hard-fought five-game opener 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, giving his team an early advantage.
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India quickly hit back through their top-ranked player Manav Thakkar, currently ranked 42, who delivered a calm and controlled performance to defeat Jakub Zelinka in straight games 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 to level the tie at 1-1.
Slovakia, however, regained control in the third match as defensive specialist Wang Yang produced a clinical display to beat Harmeet Desai 16-14, 11-5, 11-9.
Blending sharp changes in pace with precise counter-attacking, Wang unsettled Harmeetโs rhythm and pushed Slovakia to the brink of victory.
Trailing 1-2, India mounted a strong comeback. Manav once again stepped up, dominating Lubomir with an emphatic 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 win to bring the tie level. With momentum on their side, left-hander Manush held his nerve in the deciding match, overcoming Jakub 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 to secure a crucial 3-2 triumph for India.
Both the menโs and womenโs teams are set to play their final group-stage matches later on Thursday.
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