India’s table tennis star Manika Batra enters Round of 16 in Paris Olympics

Paris: India’s table tennis star Manika Batra said she was excited after defeating France’s Prithika Pavade to enter the Round of 16 in Women’s singles at the Paris Olympics.

“It was the best match, playing against a French player in France and winning was amazing. I’m really happy that I won against Prithika because she has a higher rank than me ... I was well prepared to play with her,” Manika said, as quoted by Olympics.com.

Batra defeated her French opponent 4-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7) in the table tennis women’s singles round of 32 match.

Batra bounced back from a two-point deficit to win the first game 11-9. She clinched the second game with a comfortable five-point margin. Even though Pavade tried to resist in the third game, Batra took the game 11-9.

Earlier in the Round of 64 match, Manika Batra triumphed over Great Britain’s Anna Hursey. The 29-year-old Batra won the match with a scoreline of 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, and 11-5 to secure her place in the round of 32.

Batra showed remarkable composure under pressure throughout the match. The third game was particularly intense, with the teenage sensation Anna Hursey taking an 8-7 lead at one stage. However, Batra managed to stay calm and convert the second game point, taking the game 11-9.

In the fourth game, Batra started strong, quickly establishing a 5-1 lead. Nevertheless, Hursey mounted a comeback, eventually pulling ahead 6-5. The game continued with frequent exchanges of the lead, and Hursey found a way to win the game 11-9, making a significant comeback into the match.

Despite the setback, Batra put aside the disappointment of losing the fourth game and came back with determination in the fifth game. She closed out the game in style with an 11-5 win, which secured her victory in the match. The win propelled Batra into the round of 32, where she will look to continue her strong performance and advance further in the competition.