WTT Contender Lagos: Gnansekaran-Akash pair lift men’s doubles title; Sreeja Akula runner-up

Indian paddlers shone bright at the WTT Contender Lagos 2025 in Nigeria, with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Akash Pal capturing the men’s doubles crown in a dominant display, while Sreeja Akula finished as the women’s singles runner-up in a commendable campaign.

Sathiyan and Akash delivered a flawless performance in the final, defeating France’s Leo De Nordest and Jules Rolland 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-9) in under 22 minutes to secure the title. Their synergy and precision at the table left little room for the French pair to make a comeback.

Meanwhile, in women’s singles, world No. 57 Sreeja Akula, who had reached the final after an impressive semifinal victory over world No. 27 Prithika Pavade of France, fell short against second seed Honoka Hashimoto of Japan.

The final saw Sreeja go down 1-4, bringing an end to her title defense run. The Indian, who was the defending champion in Lagos, fought hard but couldn’t overcome the world No. 19 Japanese star. The scoreline read 1-4 in favour of Hashimoto.

Despite the loss, it was a much-needed and confidence-boosting campaign for Sreeja, who had pulled off a stunning upset in the semis, defeating Pavade 3-2 (11-7, 11-4, 11-13, 6-11, 11-9) in a thrilling five-game battle.

India will take heart from the overall showing in Lagos, especially with a title in men’s doubles and a final appearance in women’s singles to close out a successful tournament for the contingent.