G Sathiyan and Akash Pal win doubles title; Sreeja loses singles final

Indian paddlers G Sathiyan and Akash Pal scripted a stirring triumph at the WTT Contender Lagos on Saturday, clinching the men’s doubles crown with a dominant 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-9) win over France’s Leo de Nodrest and Jules Rolland.

More that just a win, it was also revenge of sorts. Both Sathiyan and Akash had suffered defeats to the same French duo in their respective singles campaigns.

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Akash fell to Nodrest in the quarterfinals, while Rolland halted Sathiyan’s run in the Round of 16. “We both lost to them in singles, so to beat them in the final was really satisfying,” Sathiyan told TOI after the win. What made the triumph sweeter was that this was their first outing as a doubles pair. “The surprise element worked in our favour,” Sathiyan explained. “Akash has always been good at doubles. I told him to stay calm and play every point with intent. Once we won the first game after being four points down, it really shifted the momentum our way.” Pal may not be a household name just yet, but Sathiyan believes the 23-year-old is a rare gem. “After Sharath Kamal, I haven’t seen anyone in India hit the ball that hard,” he said.

He generates immense power from both wings and that puts a lot of pressure on opponents.” Sreeja Akula’s dream run at the WTT Contender Lagos came to an end in the women’s singles final, where she lost 1-4 (7-11, 3-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-13) to Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto on Saturday. The fifth was a thrill -er, with Sreeja holding a game point before narrowly going down 11-13.