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India's top-ranked table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal returned home to a grand reception on Monday from Grand Rapids, Michigan, after winning the biggest title of his career so far the US Open Table Tennis Championships and a prize money of $10,000, the maximum by an Indian.
The US Open from June 29-July 3 was one of the preparatory events for Indian paddlers ahead of the Commonwealth Games and victory there has come as a morale booster for Sharath after he lost in the semi-finals of the Indian Open at home last month. Sharath beat Keineth Thomas of Slovakia 11-9, 5-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 to claim the title. "This was exactly the kind of preparation I was looking forward to ahead of the New Delhi Games," Sharath, who is also the defending CWG champion, said on arrival here. "I am really playing well at the moment. It was a tough final and to beat the Slovak after the second and third set losses was satisfactory," added Sharath.
This is the first time Indian paddlers have done well in the US Open. Besides Sharath, three other Indians won titles across various age groups in the competition Sanil Shetty (under-21 singles), Utkarsh Gupta (boys under-13 singles) and K Spoothy (girls under-13 singles).
Shetty said he was happy to make amends for his Indian Open loss. "I was upset not to make a mark in the Indian Open. The home pressure got the better of me. But in the US Open, I kept attacking and it paid dividends against Hannamura Nayoo of Japan. After winning the first set, which went to 16-14, I was confident. Nayoo managed to take two sets off me, yet I was sure of the title," he said.
Delhi boy Utkarsh won in straight sets 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 against local hope Kunal Choudri. Gupta beat the Indian-origin player without breaking sweat despite the latter giving him some torrid moments in the second set. "I was surprised when he took five straight points off me in the second," said Gupta. Spoothy downed compatriot Anuksha Dutta 11-5, 11-5, 11-7.
TTFI secretary-general Dhanraj Choudhary said the same team will be leaving for Cairo on Tuesday to take part in the Egypt Open.
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