Sreeja Akula ousts Paris Olympic bronze medalist Hina Hayata in straight sets at WTT Lagos, eyes second title

Defending champion Sreeja Akula stunned the table tennis and sporting world on Thursday (Jul 24) to defeat the tournament's top seed and Paris Olympic bronze medallist Hina Hayata at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contenders Lagos. Sreeja looked comfortable right from the start at the Thomas Indoor Sports Hall as she sealed the game in three straight sets with the score line of 11-7, 11-8, and 11-3. Throughout the game, Sreeja dominated, scoring 16 points on Hina's serve.

The Indian champion scored a total of 33 points, while Hina managed only 18. At one point, she had an eight-point lead and did not give the bronze medalist any chance to close the gap. After winning the first two sets, many believed Hina would stage a comeback; however, to everyone’s surprise, she only managed to score three points in the final set.

''Known for her shrewd acumen and incredible defensive prowess, it was always going to be a demanding challenge to break down Akula. And Hayata would fall short on this occasion as Akula remained steadfast to close out a stunning 3-0 victory over the World No. 11," the World Table Tennis Federation wrote on social media.

‘’Being the defending champion gives me a lot of confidence. I won both the women’s singles and doubles titles last year. Lagos has been a good hunting ground for me, and I’m really happy to be back. I just want to play my best and enjoy the tournament,” Sreeja was quoted as saying to Premium Times Nigeria.

In 2024, Sreeja etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian to win the WTT Contender title. She is now chasing history, needing four more victories to claim her second title.