Lagos: Sreeja Akula has created history by becoming the first ever Indian paddler to win a WTT Contender Singles title as she beat Chinese player Ding Yijie 4-1in the final.
WR 38 Akula lost the first game against the rising Chinese younger with a scoreline of 10-12 but went on to sweep the next four games with 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 and 11-6 to cap off the victory.
Not only did she become the first ever Indian paddler to win a WTT Contender singles title, she also became the first ever Indian paddler to reach the finals of the contenders tournament with a win over compatriot Sutirtha Mukherjee in a closely fought encounter (3-2) on Saturday. Akula and Archana Kamath also capped off their impressive run in the tournament with a dominant 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 12-10) victory over compatriots Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade to win the women's doubles title earlier on Sunday. IANS
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