Mukherjee, 19, joined forces with compatriot Pooja Sahasrabudhe to upset local favourites Miao Miao and Jian Fang Lay of Australia 3-1 in the quarterfinals, before being outplayed by top-seeded Chinese pairing of Chen Meng and Zhu Ling in the semifinals.
Reflecting on her bronze medal-win in the women's doubles event of the Australian Open recently, rising Indian paddler Sutirtha Mukherjee has said that the podium finish took her by surprise.
Mukherjee, 19, joined forces with compatriot Pooja Sahasrabudhe to upset local favourites Miao Miao and Jian Fang Lay of Australia 3-1 in the quarterfinals, before being outplayed by top-seeded Chinese pairing of Chen Meng and Zhu Ling in the semifinals.
However, a win in the last-eight stage was enough to guarantee them a medal, a fairly rare sight for the Indian table tennis fans.
"We both were surprised when we won the bronze," Mukherjee told DNA. "Australian Open is a tough tournament and it was very special and memorable for me.
"We both have worked hard for this moment and I guess the hard work paid off."
Her senior partner Sahasrabudhe, 25, however, was not as surprised with their achievement, despite the fact that it was the first time the two played as a pair.
"When we entered the quarters, where we defeated Australian opponents, we thought we had a chance (to win a medal). It was good for us as me and Sutirtha were playing for the first time together," Sahasrabudhe said.
A glorious start to their partnership will certainly raise the expectations in the future tournaments, and the pair could not agree more.
"The journey of winning starts here for us, I believe that we will win more medals for our country in future," asserted Mukherjee.
"The way we both are training and understanding each other, helping each other grow, working on our flaws, trying different combinations is helping both of us grow and it will help us win National as well as international tournaments," added Mukherjee, who is aiming to compete at the Commonwealth Games next year and the 2020 Olympics.
Sahasrabudhe seconded her partner's words, saying: "Our combination and coordination is good, we compliment each other quite well. If we play well together, we can definitely win more in future."
Meanwhile, the duo also appeared excited to participate in the Ultimate Table Tennis league that begins in Chennai on Thursday.
"The league will help us develop our skills and it will also give us a chance to play with and against top foreign players, it will help us observe and study the players and understand how they play," said Mukherjee, who will be plying her trade for the Falcons TTC.
Sahasrabudhe, who was roped in by Maharashtra United, also believed that the league will spur the growth of the sport in India.
"After watching this league, youngsters will definitely come forward as they will get a chance to participate in a league like this. So for them, it is a very good chance," she said.
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