Paris (France): India's seasoned paddler Manika Batra created history, becoming the first Indian table tennis player to reach singles pre-quarterfinals at the Olympic Games. She achieved the incredible landmark by thrashing the home favourite Prithika Pavade by a comfortable margin of 4-0 in the round of 32 clash here on Monday.
Manika dominated from start to finish for an 11-9 11-6 11-9 11-7 win over the World No. 18 Prithika, who had Indian roots. Then 19-year-old Prithika contested in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but failed to make an impact in her debut Game as she made a first-round exit. However, since then she has improved her game briefly and is currently ranked 18th in the world.
India's Manika has now bettered her performance in the Tokyo Olympics where she reached the round of 32 and will be vying for a place in the quarterfinals. Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal was the best performer for India in men's singles, having reached the round of 32 in men's singles in the Tokyo Olympics. However, he failed to prove his mettle in the singles competition as he made the round of 64 exit from the ongoing Paris Games.
Prithika gave a tremendous fight to the Indian paddler as the first game emerged as a tight affair with both players going neck and neck. At 8-8, Manika induced a backhand error from a French opponent and pocketed the game quite comprehensively in the end as the 22-year-old could not return.
Result Update: India Women’s #TableTennis Singles Round of 32
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 29, 2024
Our magnificent paddler🏓 @manikabatra_TT creates history as she qualifies for Round of 16 🥳
Manika defeats 🇫🇷 France's World No. 18, Prithika Pavade with a score of 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 & 11-7 in the Round of 32. pic.twitter.com/VXrkySmXCs
The 29-year-old carried the momentum in the second game, taking a 3-1 lead. Prithika fought back well enough to level the score, inducing errors from the Indian. However, Manika's attack on the backhand of Prithika, which emerged as a weakness, got her points consistently and took the 9-6 lead within the brink of an eye. Prithika didn't find any answer to backhands and eventually dropped the second game as well.
From there on, the world ranked 28th Manika kept attacking and challenging her rivals' backhand skills. Prithika struggled with her returns. The entire match ended in just 37 minutes.
