Paris Olympics 2024: India's run ended by Germany in women's team table tennis quarter-finals

Annett Kaufmann continues to shine for Germany at Paris Olympics 2024.

The Indian women’s table tennis team took on Germany in the quarter-finals of the team event at Paris Olympics 2024. Their golden run was halted by Germany with a score of 3-1 at South Paris Arena 4 Table 1.

The first match saw Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath take on Yuan Wan and 41-year-old Shan Xiaona. The Indian pair could not continue their form which they had shown against Romania. The opening game saw the German duo take the lead, but Akula and Kamath immediately levelled the scores in the next game.

Wan and Xiaona overcame a thrilling fight in the third game as they again took the lead. The fourth game could not match the expectations as Akula and Kamath lost the match 1-3.

Manika Batra was in action in the second match and was hoping to lead India to a comeback. She faced 18-year-old Annett Kaufmann who proved to be too strong for her. Batra started on the right note by winning the opening game, but lost her way in the next three games.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: India outclassed by China in men’s table tennis team Round of 16 clash

Kaufmann gave Germany the lead as she had done against the USA in the Round of 16. India desperately needed a win in the next singles match and Olympic debutant Archana Kamath delivered at the right time. She did not have the upper hand against an experienced Xiaona, but it did not matter at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The opening game was a marathon as Kamath emerged victorious, the scoreboard read 19-17. In the second game, Xiaona let Kamath win a single point as she sprinted through to level the scores. In the next two games, the Indian paddler made sure that the match was extended, as Team India got its first point of the match.

The fourth match again saw Kaufmann in action as she was up against Akula. The young German was cheered on by her teammates on every winning point. She signalled her team members to stay calm while celebrating the points. Through a mixture of attack and defence, Kaufmann troubled Akula.

The 26-year-old Indian could not deliver in the final phases of each game. Kaufmann was challenged at the start of each game, but did not allow Akula to take more than seven points. She won the match in straight games as India’s dream run came to an end. The German team started their celebrations as they beat India 3-1 to progress to the semi-finals at Paris Olympics 2024.

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