Disappointing Pro Tour run for Sharath

National TT Champion Achanta Sharath Kamal crashed out of the Pro Tour Polish Open in Warsaw on Friday, November 28, 2008, in his second round match against Czech Republic’s Petr Kobel. The Chennai lad won the first two games 11-6 11-7 but Korbel fought back to win the third game 11-3. The subsequent three games were closely contested with Petr Korbel winning the 4th and 5th games 11-9 13-11 while Achanta Sharath Kamal won the 6th game 11-9 to take the match into a 7th game. Sharath went down in the deciding game and lost the match 11-6 11-7 3-11 9-11 11-13 11-9 6-11. Sharath had earlier blanked Austrian Daniel Habesohn in the first round.

Among women, India’s K Shamini went down to Germany’s Jiaduo Wu in a 7-game first round match 10-12 11-13 11-8 11-7 11-9 5-11 3-11. None of the others in the 19-member Indian team could make it to the main draw.

India’s hopes in Table Tennis have been pinned on Achanta Sharath Kamal but this season has been a big disappointment for him with first or second round in all five Pro Tours that he has participated in. He was India’s sole paddler to have qualified for the 2008 Beijing Open. Hopefully, 26-year-old Sharath, who will end the season ranked 85th in the world, will be headed to another club next season and hope for a change in fortune.

Update (December 1, 2008): Sharath has signed up for practise with the Ochsenhausen Club (one of Germany’s top clubs) for the 2009 season. His contract with the Spanish club San Sebastin ends in May. However, Sharath is still looking out for options as far as playing club league is concerned.