Competing in his third Asian Games, the Madhya Pradesh native faced Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka in a match that lasted 45 minutes. Although Meena ultimately fell to a 2-4 defeat, his journey to the podium highlighted a significant milestone for Indian soft tennis on the international stage.
A Spirited Semifinal Effort
The semifinal clash began as a difficult challenge for Meena, who struggled to find his rhythm against Kurosaka. The Japanese competitor capitalized on early errors to take the first three games by scores of 5-3, 4-1, and 4-1, putting the Indian player in a precarious position.
Refusing to concede, Meena mounted a determined comeback in the latter stages of the match. He secured the fourth game 4-1 and edged out a tight fifth game 6-4, narrowing the deficit to 2-3. However, Kurosaka regained his composure in the sixth game, closing out the set 4-1 to secure his spot in the final and leaving Meena to celebrate a hard-earned bronze medal.
Path to the Podium
Meena’s path to the semifinals was defined by resilience and tactical consistency. Earlier in the day, he navigated a grueling quarterfinal against the Philippines’ Sherwin Nuguit, eventually prevailing 4-3 in a match that went the distance. The final game of that encounter was particularly intense, with Meena clinching the victory 7-5.
The 26-year-old’s campaign also included a dominant 4-0 victory over Pakistan’s Arain Hussain in Group D, which paved his way into the knockout stages. A 2022 National Games gold medalist, Meena brought significant experience to Nagoya, having previously represented India at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games. His success in Japan follows his previous international achievement of a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event at the 2024 World Soft Tennis Championship.
