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Chennai: Table tennis legend Sharath Kamal brought curtains down on his playing career with a straight-game defeat in the WTT Star Contender here on Saturday.
Sharath bowed out with a 9-11, 8-11, 9-11 loss to compatriot Snehit Suravajjula in the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals, marking the end of a remarkable two-decade journey.
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The 42-year-old’s career came full circle — he ended his journey where it all began, surrounded by family and fans in his farewell.
Competing against his idol Sharath, Snehit did not have to sweat. The opening game was pretty even, and for the most part, both players did not look to attack and stayed close to the table, dishing out short balls.
At 9-7, the 24-year-old looked set to take the game, but Sharath fought back to level the scores. However, a service error was enough for Sharath to go down.
The former India No. 1 started the second game on a positive note with a 5-1 advantage, but Snehit slowly made his way back. Snehit then smashed a forehand to Sharath’s body, and the experienced paddler used a forehand block for the winner to boost his confidence.
The crowd was expecting their homeboy’s comeback with a slender one-point advantage in the third game. But Snehit was smart enough to take a timeout and slowed things down to clinch the next two points for a 10-9 lead.
A forehand down the line sealed the deal for the youngster. Although Snehit reached his first Star Contender quarterfinals, he kept his celebration low-key.
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