Sreeja Akula loses to Honoka Hashimoto in WTT Contender Lagos final

India’s Sreeja Akula finished runner-up at WTT Contender Lagos after losing 1-4 to Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto in the women’s singles final. Earlier, Gnanasekaran Sathiyan and Akash Pal bagged the men’s doubles crown, defeating a French pair in straight games.

HYDERABAD: Sreeja Akula’s lost to Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto 1-4 in the women’s singles final of the WTT Contender Lagos.

In the 48-minute final, Hashimoto put considerable distance between herself and Sreeja after winning the first three games 11-7, 11-3, 11-4. However, Sreeja who hold from Hyderabad, opened her account and clinched the fourth game 11-9 to remain in the contest.

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The fifth game saw Sreeja start well but the Japanese player stayed close to her opponent. Sreeja led at 10-9 but Hashimoto held on to equalise and eventually seal the game 13-11, and consequently the match.

The 26-year-old Indian had earlier beaten France’s Prithika Pavade 11-7, 11-4, 11-13, 6-11, 11-9 in a semifinal clash which lasted 39 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Indian duo of Gnansekaran Sathiyan and Akash Pal beat France’s Leo de Nodrest and Jules Rolland in the final to win the men’s doubles title.The pair secured the title in under 22 minutes, beating its opponents 11-9, 11-4, 11-9.