by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Furthermore, it signalled the end of the host nation’s medal hopes.

In the opening match on the show court Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shetty, the no.3 seeds beat Australia’s Heming Hu and Yan Xin, the no.8 seed (11-8, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8).

“We were dominant in the first game but then we were passive at the end of the second, we led 10-9 and lost our discipline; in the third game were down 7-10 and played positively, winning that game gave us confidence for the fourth.” Sanil Shetty

At the semi-final stage Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shetty meet England’s Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford, the no.2 seeds.

In the round of the last eight pairs, the English duo overcame Singapore’s Gao Ning and Pang Xue Jie, the no.5 seeds, a contest in which one wondered if Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford had spurned an opportunity, two games to nil ahead, in the third game they held two match points before losing the fourth and requiring a decider to secure victory (11-7, 13-11, 14-16, 5-11, 11-8).

“We played well yesterday, we won three-nil against a good Nigerian pair, Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo; today we nearly did the same. We had two match points in the third game, we lost that game; that gave them confidence and maybe affected us a little but we won and I feel we are playing well.” Paul Drinkhall

Wins as predicted, it was the same for the top seeds. India’s Sharath Kamath Achanta and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, the top seeds, accounted for England’s David McBeath and Sam Walker, the no.5 seeds (11-7, 11-8, 12-10).

At the semi-final stage Sharath Kamath Achanta and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran meet Ethan Poh Shao Feng and Pang Yew En Koen

The semi-final matches in the Men’s Doubles event will be played later in the evening.