WTT Youth Star Contender: India paddler Preyesh Raj enters quarter-finals

Young rising India paddler Preyesh Raj Suresh made his way into the quarterfinals at the 2021 WTT Youth Star Contender Tunis on Thursday with a thrilling 3-2 win against Sweden's David Bjorkryd.

Playing in the U-15 boys singles, the current national sub-junior champion Preyesh recovered well after being a set down against Swedish opponent before completing a 7-11, 15-13, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 victory in the hard-fought five-setter last-16 match.

The ongoing tournament, which is scheduled from May 26 to 30 in Tunis, is the first youth international event Indian paddlers are participating in since the coronavirus outbreak. Preyesh will take on Russian Ilia Koniukhov in the last-8 match.

The Chennai paddler Preyesh Raj earlier finished second in the group stage with two wins from three group matches.

The 14-year-old Preyesh Raj defeated Musa Mustapha of Nigeria and local favourite Chadi Hsayri of Tunisia 11-7, 12-10, 11-5 and 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 respectively. However, he suffered a 12-14, 6-11, 10-12 loss against Russian paddler Aleksei Samokhin.

In the U-19 boys singles, Delhi's Payas went down fighting against 11-6, 4-11, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11 in the round-of-16 match against Belgium's Adrien Rassenfosse.

Earlier the current national youth and junior champion 16-year-old Payas made his way into the knockout stage with a second-placed finish in the group stage with two wins from three matches.

Another Indian in the U-19 boys singles, Deepit Patil could not progress to the knockout stage as he finished third in group stage.

In the women's category, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, India's Diya Chitale and Swastika Ghosh will be seen competing in the U-19 category.

( With inputs from ANI )

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