India’s Manika Batra has advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics table tennis women’s singles event after a remarkable upset victory over France’s Prithika Pavade in the round of 32. Batra, who is ranked 28th in the world, secured a dominant 4-0 win (11-9, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7) against the world No. 18 Pavade at South Paris Arena 4 in the French capital. Reflecting on her win, Batra expressed her delight, emphasizing the significance of defeating a higher-ranked player on French soil.
The first game was intensely competitive, with both players tied at 8-8 before Batra managed to edge ahead and win the game. She then carried this momentum into the second game, securing it comfortably. In the third game, Batra raced to a 10-4 lead, but Pavade fought back, saving five game points before Batra regained control to extend her lead to 3-0. Batra’s powerful backhands were instrumental in her securing a straight-sets victory without any difficulties.
Manika Batra will now face either Hong Kong China’s Zhu Chengzhu or Japan’s eighth-seeded Miu Hirano in the next round. Prior to her match against Pavade, Batra had defeated world No. 103 Anna Hursey of Great Britain 4-1 to advance to the round of 32.
In other Indian table tennis news, Olympic debutant Sreeja Akula aims to join Batra in the round of 16. Akula, ranked 25th, progressed to the round of 32 by defeating Sweden’s world No. 58 Christina Kallberg 4-0 in the round of 64. She is scheduled to play Zeng Jian of Singapore in the round of 32 on Monday.
Unfortunately, India’s campaign in the men’s singles ended early, with both Sharath Kamal and Harmeet Desai exiting in the round of 16 on Sunday.
India will also compete in the team events at Paris 2024. The Indian men’s team, consisting of Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar, faces a challenging first-round match against four-time champions People’s Republic of China. Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team, featuring Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath, will play Romania in their opening match.
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