Jakarta Aug 27 (IANS) The Indian men s table tennis team edged past Japan 3-1 in the quarter-final to assure itself of a historic first medal at the 18th Asian Games here on Monday.
G. Sathiyan won two matches while veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal won one as they ousted Japan the last editon s bronze medallist.
World No.39 Sathiyan Gnanasekaran beat World No. 19 Kenta Matsudaira 3-1 (12-10 6-11 11-7 11-4) in the fourth match to secure a passage in the semi-finals and assure India of at least a bronze medal.
It was Sathiyan who gave India a good start beating Jin Ueda.
Sharath Kamal then defeated Kenta Matsudaira 11-8 12-10 11-8 to take a 2-0 lead.
Japan then stretched India to the fourth match after Masaki Yoshida beat Harmeet Desai 9-11 14-12 8-11 11-8 11-4.

--IANS dm/pur/vm