Syndrela, Sutirtha and Ankur beat higher-ranked Australians to give India clean sweep of singles semifinals

Syndrela, Sutirtha and Ankur produced surprise victories over higher-ranked Australian opponents in the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Table Tennis, progressing to the semifinals. Their wins meant that all eight semifinal berths across the men’s and women’s singles were claimed by Indian players.

The three players, described as the Bengal trio, each toppled Australian rivals in the last-eight stage to advance. These quarterfinal successes completed an all-India line-up for the singles semifinals at the event. The results underline India’s dominance in both the men’s and women’s singles brackets at this edition of the Commonwealth Table Tennis.

Each of the three upsets occurred in the quarterfinal round, with Syndrela, Sutirtha and Ankur emerging victorious against opponents who were ranked above them. The progression of these players into the final four ensured that no non-Indian player would feature in the semifinals across either singles draw. That situation leaves India with full representation in both the men’s and women’s penultimate rounds.

The advancement of the Bengal trio completes a rare domestic clean sweep at this stage of a major multi-nation competition. Syndrela, Sutirtha and Ankur join their compatriots in the semifinal line-ups, meaning all remaining singles matches will feature Indian competitors. The concentration of Indian players in the last four frames both men’s and women’s events reflects the outcome of the quarterfinal match-ups.

With the semifinals now set, Syndrela, Sutirtha and Ankur will be among the Indian players contesting for places in the finals. The all-Indian composition of the semifinals guarantees that the singles titles will be won by Indian athletes. The quarterfinal upsets by the Bengal trio therefore had a decisive effect on the nationality of the final four in both draws.

The quarterfinal victories by Syndrela, Sutirtha and Ankur have reshaped the singles competitions at the Commonwealth Table Tennis, culminating in an all-India set of semifinalists. Their wins not only advanced them individually but also secured India’s complete hold on the remaining singles berths.