Tokyo: India’s para table tennis player Bhavinaben Hasmukhbhai Patel loses to China’s Zhou Ying by 3-0 in her opening match of Group A in women’s singles – Class 4 here at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium – Table 5 on Wednesday.
2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, Zhou Ying overwhelmed Bhavina Patel in straight sets by 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-2) in just 18 minutes. Bhavinaben Hasmukhbhai Patel will now clash with Megan Shackleton of Great Britain on Thursday in her final Group A match.
The Chinese wasted no time whatsoever as she dominated the proceedings from the word go and stormed the first set by 11-3. The Indian paddler showed more resistance in the second game but Ying held her nerves better to claim a close 11-9 victory. Zhou carried her momentum in the third set as she took the game and match by just giving two points to Bhavina.
Earlier in the day, another Indian paddler Sonalben Manubhai Patel suffered a defeat against China’s Qian Li by 3-2 in her opening match of Group D in women’s singles – class 3. World number 4 Qian Li defeated Sonalben in five sets by 3-2 (9-11, 11-3, 15-17, 11-7, 11-4) in 36 minutes.
Sonalben Manubhai Patel will now be up against South Korea’s Mi Gyu Lee on Thursday in her second Group D match.