Achanta Sharath Kamal learnt the sport of Table Tennis in hometown Chennai and then played it professionally for over two decades.
Life came full circle for the five-time Olympian as that journey ended with a 3-0 (9-11, 8-11, 9-11) loss to compatriot Snehit Suravajalla in the round of 16 at the WTT Star Contender here on Saturday.
A day after being on the same side of the table during their defeat in the men’s doubles semifinals, Sharath and Snehit had to play against each other for a spot in the singles quarterfinals.
The 42-year-old Sharath had beaten qualifier Anirban Ghosh and Australian World No. 34 Nicholas Lum to reach the last 16 stage. Snehit, who took down fellow wildcard Ankur Bhattacharjee in the first round, set up the clash with Sharath, his idol and mentor, after stunning Japanese World No. 29 Yukiya Uda in the round of 32.
The 24-year-old Snehit got off to a better start against Sharath and led 4-2 at the first towel break but the veteran soon made it 5-5 with a crosscourt forehand winner.
The two players had a cautious approach and stayed close to the table, making it a cagey affair.
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At least that was the case till 9-7 in the opener when Sharath crunched a backhand down the line after a short return from Snehit. He followed it up by running around his forehand before unleashing one down the line to restore parity.
The 600-odd spectators at the Nehru Indoor Stadium expected Sharath to complete the comeback and take his seventh successive game of the tournament. However, Snehit stayed solid in the next rally, drawing a heavy block from Sharath which sailed past the table.
In an anti-climactic finish, Sharath gifted the opener away with a service error by netting the ball.
Sharath started the second game on a better note and took a commanding 5-1 lead. Unfazed, Snehit then started engaging his senior in longish rallies, using his faster reflexes to his advantage and coming out on top.
Sharath did have the last say in one of them when at 5-4, Snehit hit one forehand directed towards his body only to see Sharath come up with a forehand block winner into the open table. From 8-8, Sharath made three straight backhand errors to fall further behind.
Snehit seemed to be running away with the contest after racing to a 4-0 lead in the third game.
Trailing 5-8, Sharath went for one last push to keep his career going. He made it 6-8 with a backhand into Snehit’s body. He came up with a superb backhand lob when the ball clipped the net after a return from Snehit and the youngster ended up sending the simplest of the forehand smashes out of the court. With a forehand push winner, Sharath surged ahead at 9-8.
Snehit made the smart decision to take the timeout. It broke Sharath’s rhythm and allowed him to clinch the next two points. Snehit sealed the deal by getting his body in position for a forehand winner down the line after Sharath had successfully cramped him up in the rally.
The celebration from Snehit was understandably subdued before he hugged Sharath and applauded him along with the spectators.
For Sharath, it wasn’t the fairytale ending he would have hoped for but he was still grateful for being able to say goodbye to the sport in his hometown as he raised his arms and acknowledged the fans before leaving the court.