India’s Sharath Kamal overcame a sluggish start to beat Portugal’s Tiago Apolonia in the men’s table tennis singles second round at the Tokyo Games on Monday.
The 39-year-old — the only Indian left in the fray — struggled in the first game but pulled himself up just in time to win 2-11, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 in 49 minutes to set up a clash with defending champion Ma Long of China on Tuesday.
Arguably the greatest table tennis player of all time, Ma Long has won every singles title in the sport, and is also the reigning world champion.
However, with the way the 32-ranked Sharath played against his 59th-ranked opponent, it has given him immense confidence going into the round of 32 match against the mighty Chinese.
“I think it was one of the best matches I have played. The first game I don’t know what happened, I could not connect bat with ball. From there I could lift myself up,” Sharath said.
INDIA WATCH: Tuesday
- Shooting — 10m air pistol mixed team qualification stage 1 (5.30am), 10m air pistol mixed team qualification stage 2 (6.15am, if India qualify. Bronze medal match 7.30am, Gold medal match 8.07am)
- Hockey — Men’s Pool A, India vs Spain 6.30am)
- Badminton — Men’s doubles group play (8.30am)
- Table tennis — Men’s singles round 3 (8.30am)
- Sailing — Women’s one person dinghy, laser radial, race 5 (8.35am), Men’s one person dinghy, laser radial race 4 (8.45am), Women’s one person dinghy, laser radial, race 6 (9.35am), Men’s one person dinghy, laser radial, race 5&6 (After women’s 9.35am race 6)
- Shooting — 10m air rifle mixed team qualification stage 1 (9.45am), 10m air rifle mixed team qualification stage 2 (10.30am, if India qualify. Bronze medal match 11.45am, Gold medal match 12.22pm)
- Boxing — Women’s welterweight preliminaries, round of 16 (10.57am)
All timings in IST