India blank Uzbekistan 3-0, assure berth for knockout stage in TT

Doha, Nov 29 (UNI) Indian women team began their campaign on high note as they blanked Uzbekistan 3-0 to be assured of a berth for the knockout stage in the Table Tennis competition of the Asian Games here today.

India is placed in three-team Group A and will play North Korea in their next match. The top two teams from this group will make it to the next stage.

The Indian trio of Poulomi Ghatak, Mouma Das and Kumaresan Shamini proved too strong for the Uzbekistan team ranked 55 in the World.

The Indian women team, winner of bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games, fielded experienced Poulomi Ghatak against Aliye Ismailova.

The Indian was startled when Aliya took the first game. Ghatak, however, soon regained her rhythm to win the next three games.

Ghatak caught Aliya on wrong foot several times in the course of 15-minute match to emerge winner by 7-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-6.

This was the only tie in which India conceded a game as in the next two matches Mouma and Shamini took just 12 and eight minutes respectively to wrap up their respective matches in straight games.

Mouma outplayed Ekaterina Levina 11-4, 14-12, 17-15 to make it 2-0 and Shamini then sealed the match in India's favour crushing Madina Ayubova 11-6, 11-6, 11-2.

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