Lasko (Slovenia):India's Manika Batra remained on course for a grand double at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender event in Lasko, Slovenia, reaching the semi-finals in the women's singles and the final in women's doubles with compatriot Archana Girish Kamath.
In the women's singles quarter-final played on Saturday, Manika overcame a tough challenge from Romania's Bernadette Szocs, beating her rival 3-2, coming back from 1-2 deficit in a well-fought encounter. Manika eventually won the match 11-8, 4-11, 5-11,11-8, 11-7 to seal a place in the last-four stage at the Sports Hall Tri Lilije.
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Manika, ranked 58th in the World, started well on Saturday afternoon and won the first game but lost the next two games 4-11 and 5-11, and was staring at defeat. However, the Indian star, a gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, came back strongly in the fourth game and from 4-4, surged ahead to win the game at 11-8, overcoming a stiff challenge from the Romanian opponent.
In the decider, Manika, who represented the country in the Tokyo Olympics, opened a small lead at 6-4 and slowly build on it to extend it to 10-7 before clinching the issue on the first match point for a morale-boosting 3-2 win and a place in the semi-finals. She will next meet China's World No. 11 Wang Yidi in the semi-final. The other semi-final will pit Germany's Sabrine Winter and China's Liu Weishan.
Earlier on Friday night, Manika and Archana upset China's Liu Weishan and Wang Zidi 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8) in the women's doubles semi-finals.