Mixed luck for Indian
table tennis teams

India's men and women met with contrasting fate in the table tennis team events of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday with the men advancing to the semi-finals and the women bowing out of medal race.

The men's team defeated Canada 3-2 while the women suffered a 1-3 defeat to Australia in the quarter-final matches.

After conceding a 0-1 lead when Chetan Baboor lost the first match to Johnny Huang, the Indians bounced back to win the next two matches. S Raman defeated Bence Csaba 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 while Soumyadeep Roy beat Pradeebani Peter-Paul 17-15 11-7 11-6.

Huang, who had defeated Baboor 8-11, 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 in the opening match, then won his second encounter too beating S Raman 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4.

In the deciding match, Baboor defeated Bence Csaba 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4 to win the tie for India.

In the women's quarter-final, Poulami Ghatak registered an easy victory over Jian Fang Lay 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 to give a perfect start to India.

But in the next match, Mouma Das lost 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 to Miao that levelled the score 1-1.

Australia won the next two matches to move to the semi-finals.

Tammy Gough defeated a spirited N R Indu 14-12, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 to give the Aussies a vital lead.

Ghatak failed to repeat her performance against Miao Miao who won 13-15, 11-6, 8-11, 13-11, 11-4 to earn Australia a place in the semi-finals.