Sathiyan Gnanasekaran Creates History at WTT Feeder Beirut 2024

Indian star paddler G. Sathiyan has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first-ever Indian to win a men’s singles trophy at a WTT Feeder Series event. This historic moment took place in Beirut, Lebanon, where Sathiyan triumphed over his compatriot Manav Thakkar with a 3-1 (6-11 11-7 11-7 11-4) victory in the final of the WTT Feeder Beirut 2024 on Thursday night.

Sathiyan’s Path to Glory

Seeded No.11 in the tournament, Sathiyan had an impressive journey to the final. He overcame formidable opponents like No.5 seed Harmeet Desai (15-13 6-11 11-8 13-11) and top seed Chuang Chih-Yuan (11-8 11-13 11-8 11-9) en route to the championship match.

However, the final against No.9 seed Manav Thakkar will be a match Sathiyan will cherish the most, as he bounced back from an early setback to secure the victory in four games.

Significance of the Title

This men’s singles title at the WTT Feeder event in Beirut marks Sathiyan’s first success at a WTT event. It is also his first singles title at an international ranking event since the ITTF Czech International Open 2021.

Xia Lian Ni Shines in Women’s Singles

In the women’s singles event, Xia Lian Ni claimed her second WTT Feeder title, exhibiting an excellent performance to defeat Suh Hyo Won with a score of 11-9 11-5 11-5.

Despite being a wildcard entrant, Ni dropped just one game on her way to the semifinal and was clinical in the penultimate round, needing only three games to overcome No.2 seed Chen Szu-Yu (11-7 11-9 11-4).

Suh Hyo Won’s Impressive Run

Making her first international women’s singles final appearance since 2018, Suh Hyo Won put up a valiant effort to try and secure her first WTT singles trophy. However, the 60-year-old age-defying star Xia Lian Ni proved too strong, claiming her second title at this level, one year after earning her first at WTT Feeder Havirov 2023.

Men’s Doubles Success for Cuba

In the men’s doubles event, the Indian pair of Manav Thakkar and Manush Utpalbhai Shah had to settle for the second position, losing 11-5, 7-11 11-13 12-14 against Andy Pereira and Jorge Campos from Cuba. This victory marked the first time a pair from Cuba has achieved WTT title success.