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India advanced to the quarter-finals of the men's team soft tennis competition at the Asian Games 2026 after finishing second in Group C with two wins from three ties on Friday.
The Indian team of Jay Meena, Yogesh Choudhary, Aryan Thakur, Aniket Patel and Om Yadav began their campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Laos before suffering a 0-3 defeat against Chinese Taipei. India bounced back strongly in their final group fixture, defeating Mongolia 3-0 to secure their place in the knockout stage. Chinese Taipei topped the group, while India finished second with four points. India made a strong start against Laos, with Meena and Choudhary winning the opening doubles encounter 5-0. Aryan Thakur then produced a straight 4-0 victory in singles before Patel and Yadav completed the clean sweep with another 5-0 win in the second doubles match. The second tie against Chinese Taipei proved a tougher test. Meena and Choudhary went down 0-5 in the opening doubles match, while Thakur fought hard but lost his singles contest 1-4. Patel and Yadav were then defeated 1-5 as Chinese Taipei completed a 3-0 victory. With qualification on the line against Mongolia, India responded emphatically, securing another 3-0 win to seal second place in the group. The Indian squad features a mix of experience and Asian Games debutants, with Thakur, Yadav and Choudhary making their first appearance at the continental multi-sport event. (ANI)
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