India’s WTT US Smash 2025 campaign ends with Men’s Doubles Quarterfinal finish

Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah headlined India’s campaign with a men’s doubles quarterfinal finish in Las Vegas.

Update: 2025-07-11 10:46 GMT

Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar (Photo credit: WTT)

India's challenge at the WTT US Smash 2025 concluded with a strong showing by the men’s doubles pair of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah, who reached the quarterfinals in the inaugural edition of the tournament held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, USA.

The seventh-seeded Indian duo put up a spirited fight but went down 1-3 to South Korea’s fourth-seeded team of An Jaehyun and Lim Jonghoon, with a final scoreline of 8-11, 13-11, 5-11, 9-11.

Their journey to the last eight was highlighted by an impressive comeback win in the pre-quarterfinals, where they defeated the European pairing of Tomislav Pucar (Croatia) and Lubomir Pistej (Slovenia). After dropping the opening game, Manav and Manush rallied to win the next three games and sealed the match 12-14, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. This victory stood out in India’s campaign and showcased the duo’s growing consistency on the international stage.

In mixed doubles, Manush Shah partnered with Diya Chitale, and the pair advanced to the quarterfinals after a solid win over Korea’s Oh Jun Sung and Japan’s Odo Satsuki in the Round of 16. However, their run ended against the experienced Hong Kong duo of Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem. Despite forcing a decider after being two games down, the Indian pair fell short in the fifth game, losing 3-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 7-11.

The singles events saw an early exit for Indian players. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran reached the second round in men’s singles but was defeated by China’s Peng Xiang in four games. In women’s singles, Sreeja Akula bowed out in the Round of 32 after a straight-game loss to Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto. Several other Indian paddlers — including Manav Thakkar, Diya Chitale, Manika Batra, Harmeet Desai, and Ayhika Mukherjee — were unable to progress beyond the early rounds or the qualifying stages.

In doubles, other Indian combinations also faced early exits. The men’s doubles team of Mudit Dani and Nigerian partner Olajide Omotayo were knocked out in the Round of 32, while the women’s doubles duo of Diya Chitale and Yashaswi Ghorpade also failed to progress past the same stage.

While India’s run at the WTT US Smash 2025 didn’t result in a podium finish, the men’s doubles performance by Manav and Manush was a positive takeaway. Their quarterfinal appearance against higher-ranked opponents reflects growing potential and offers encouragement for future Grand Smash events.

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