Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah Storm Into Europe Smash Quarter-finals After Stunning Comeback

India's Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah produced a stunning comeback at the prestigious Europe Smash 2026 in Malmö, Sweden, overturning a two-game deficit to reach the men's doubles quarter-finals.

The Indian pair, ranked No. 3 in the world, defeated Spain's Berzosa and Perez 3-2 in the Round of 16 after initially looking down and out. After losing the opening two games 5-11 and 6-11, Thakkar and Shah completely changed the momentum of the contest, winning the next three games 11-4, 11-8 and 11-4.

The comeback ensured that India retained representation in the men's doubles draw even as the country's challenge in men's singles ended in the opening round. For Thakkar and Shah, the victory was particularly significant because of the manner in which it was achieved. Trailing 0-2, the Indian pair had little margin for error, but their response was emphatic.

From 0-2 down to a quarter-final spot

The Spanish pair started strongly and immediately put the Indian combination under pressure. Berzosa and Perez took the opening game 11-5, before extending their advantage with an 11-6 victory in the second. At 0-2 down, the world No. 3 Indian pair faced the prospect of an early exit.

Instead, Thakkar and Shah found another level. They took control of the third game and won it 11-4, reducing the deficit to 1-2. The fourth game followed a similar pattern, with the Indians maintaining their momentum and forcing the contest into a deciding fifth game after an 11-8 victory.

The decider saw India firmly in control. Thakkar and Shah closed out the fifth game 11-4, completing a remarkable turnaround and securing their place in the quarter-finals.

The final scoreline read 5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4. The victory was not simply a result of recovering from a slow start. It demonstrated the pair's ability to adjust during a match and maintain composure when facing elimination.

Singles challenge ends early

While the men's doubles campaign continues, India's challenge in the men's singles event came to an end in the opening round. All three Indian contenders Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran were eliminated at the first hurdle. Thakkar faced Japanese star Tomokazu Harimoto and suffered a straight-games defeat. Harimoto won 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 to move into the next round.

The match was competitive, particularly in the opening game, but Harimoto maintained control at the crucial moments and eventually completed the straight-games victory. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran also faced Japanese opposition, losing to Hikaru Matsushima 1-3. The match finished 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 5-11, bringing Sathiyan's singles campaign to an early end.

The results meant India had no representation remaining in the men's singles draw after the opening round. For Thakkar, however, there was an immediate opportunity to respond in doubles and he took it alongside Shah.

The victory over Berzosa and Perez becomes even more important considering the strength of the Europe Smash field. The Indian pair entered the tournament as the world No. 3-ranked men's doubles combination, carrying significant expectations into Malmö. Their ability to recover after losing the first two games showed why they remain among the leading pairs on the international circuit.

https://www.indiasportshub.com/articles/diya-chitale-defeats-sreeja-akula-to-reach-round-of-32-at-europe-smash-2026

Earlier, India's Chitale and Ghorpade also narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals, losing 2-3 to Kaufmann and Winter. The result further underlines the difficulty of progressing deep into a Smash-level tournament, where the margins between leading pairs are extremely small.

India's challenge has also been reduced in the women's and mixed doubles categories. Diya and Manush Shah were among the Indian combinations eliminated in mixed doubles, while Manika Batra exited the women's singles competition. In women's doubles, Yashaswini/Diya and Das/Kukulkova also saw their campaigns come to an end.

With several Indian players already eliminated, the spotlight now shifts firmly towards Thakkar and Shah in men's doubles.

The comeback against Berzosa and Perez provides the Indian pair with both momentum and confidence heading into the quarter-finals. The manner of their victory will be particularly encouraging. Rather than allowing a 0-2 deficit to dictate the outcome, they changed the match after the second game and won three consecutive games by increasingly convincing margins.

Their final two games were especially impressive, with India winning both 11-8 and 11-4. For Thakkar, the doubles result also provides a positive response after his singles defeat to Harimoto. For Shah, it represents another opportunity to challenge for a deep run at one of table tennis' major international events.

India's singles challenge may have ended abruptly in Malmö, but the men's doubles campaign remains alive. After surviving a five-game battle from two games down, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah are now just two victories away from a place in the Europe Smash final.

The world No. 3 pair has already shown that they can survive adversity. The next challenge will be converting that resilience into another major international result.