Indian Teen Hansini Mathan Stuns World No. 78 at WTT Feeder Series

Indian junior national champion Hansini Mathan, aged 16, caused a major upset by defeating world number 78 and third seed Yoo Yerin of South Korea in straight games. In another surprise, wildcard Sanil Shetty fought back from two games down and saved a match point to overcome second seed Harmeet Desai in men's singles. The mixed doubles pair of Payas Jain and Syndrela Das also advanced with a comeback victory. The event, presented by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, saw several other Indian players like Manush Shah and Snehit Suravajjula progress to the next rounds.

Key Points: WTT Feeder Series: Indian Upsets by Hansini, Sanil Shetty

  • Hansini Mathan beats world No. 78
  • Sanil Shetty saves match point vs. Harmeet Desai
  • Payas Jain/Syndrela Das win in mixed doubles
  • Manush Shah advances as top seed
  • Event hosted in Vadodara by Sports Authority of Gujarat
3 min read

WTT Feeder Series 2026: Hansini Mathan and Sanil Shetty upset seeded opponents to advance

Junior champion Hansini Mathan and Sanil Shetty lead Indian upsets at WTT Feeder Series 2026 in Vadodara, beating higher-seeded opponents.

"The 16-year-old Hansini... came up with her top game against world number 78 and third seed Yoo Yerin - Report"

Vadodara, Jan 9

Junior national champion Hansini Mathan, wild card entrant Sanil Shetty, and mixed doubles combination Payas Jain and Syndrela Das upset higher-ranked opponents to advance to the second round of the WTT Feeder Series 2026, presented by Sports Authority of Gujarat, at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara on Friday.

The 16-year-old Hansini, who holds the record of the youngest junior national champion in India, came up with her top game against world number 78 and third seed Yoo Yerin from the Republic of Korea to win 11-8, 11-3, 11-9. She will face Ryu Hanna of the Korean Republic, who had to work hard to beat another young Indian star, Tanishka Kalbhairav, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 in the opening round.

Hansini then teamed up with Sampada Bhiwandkar to upset third seeds Anusha Kutumbale and Baisya 9-11, 15-13, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10 in the women's doubles first round.

The inaugural edition of the WTT Feeder Series in Vadodara, presented by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, is being hosted by the Table Tennis Association of Baroda and implemented by UTT.

In men's singles, Shetty fought back from a two-game deficit and saved a match point to beat second seed Harmeet Desai 6-11, 5-11, 14-12, 13-11, 11-7. He will next face qualifier Sougata Sarkar in the pre-quarterfinals.

Priyanuj Bhattacharya also upset eighth seed Navid Shams of Iran 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 to advance to the second round, where he will meet Yashansh Malik.

In the mixed doubles first round, Jain and Das put behind a difficult opening game to beat Pal and Baisya 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6 to advance to the next round.

Other top players in men's singles, with first seed Manush Shah, third seed Snehit Suravajjula, and sixth seed Ankur Bhattacharjee advancing to the next round.

Manush defeated qualifier Parth Magar 11-7, 11-4, 11-4. Snehit beat wild card entrant Pratham Madlani 11-5, 11-7, 11-3, while Bhattacharjee got the better of Abhinandh Pradhivadhi 11-6, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6.

Manush, who hails from Baroda, took control of the match by opening up a 5-2 lead in the opening game, and though Magar managed to close the gap at 7-6, the local favourite sailed through the opening game. In the second game, Manush won six straight points from 5-4 to extend his advantage and was hardly troubled in the third.

In the pre-quarterfinals, Bhattacharjee will face Mudit Dani, who defeated Ved Sheth 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6. Snehit will take on Divyansh Srivastava, who defeated qualifier Balamurugan Rajasekaran 11-6, 11-9, 11-4.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sanjay N
Sanil Shetty's comeback was the match of the day! From 2 games down and saving a match point against Harmeet Desai... that's pure heart and determination. Vadodara is hosting a great event. Hope it gets more TV coverage next time.
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Priya S
So proud to see our young athletes shining! Hansini, Tanishka, Payas... the pipeline looks strong. But a small note: the article jumps around a lot between matches. A clearer round-by-round summary would be helpful for following the tournament.
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Rohit P
Great to see a WTT event in Gujarat! Sports Authority of Gujarat and Table Tennis Association of Baroda are doing good work. Manush Shah playing at home must be a special feeling. Hope this inspires more kids in the state to pick up a paddle.
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Aman W
The depth in Indian table tennis is really improving. We have upsets happening, which means the competition is fierce. Priyanuj beating the Iranian seed is another big result. Onwards and upwards! 🏓
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Kriti O
Heartbreak for Tanishka Kalbhairav in that five-setter against Ryu Hanna. So close! But she's young and will learn from this. The future of women's TT in India is in very good hands with these talented girls.

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