Paris Olympics 2024: ‘Right on the Mani!’ Manika Batra becomes first Indian paddler to reach pre-quarterfinals

Indian table tennis player Manika Batra dominated Prithika Pavade of France in the women's singles round of 32 matches at the Paris Olympics. She secured a convincing 4-0 victory over her French counterpart, winning the match with scores of 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, and 11-7.

Batra recovered from a two-point lag to win the first game 11-9. The Indian player then comfortably won the second game with a five-point lead. Despite Pavade's efforts to fight in the third game, Manika Batra clinched it 11-9.

In the Round of 64, Manika Batra defeated Great Britain's Anna Hursey. The 29-year-old Batra delivered a strong performance, winning with a score of 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, advancing to the round of 32.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Olympics Khel wrote, “Right on the Mani. Manika Batra becomes the first Indian paddler to reach the Round of 16 in Olympics history.”

Batra maintained her composure under pressure throughout the match. The third game was particularly tense, with the young Anna Hursey leading 8-7 at one point. However, Batra remained calm and clinched the game 11-9 on her second game point.

In the fourth game, Batra started strong, quickly gaining a 5-1 lead. However, Hursey managed to rally and take the lead at 6-5. The lead exchanged hands several times, and Hursey eventually clinched the game 11-9, staging a significant comeback.

Undeterred by the setback, Batra regained her focus and determination in the fifth game. She dominated with an 11-5 win, securing her overall victory. This triumph moves Batra into the round of 32, where she aims to continue her impressive performance and progress further in the competition.

After the match, Batra said, "I am happy that I beat a French player in Paris. I defeated a higher-ranked player. I did not think of creating history and making the pre-quarters, there are more rounds, I will take it match by match and give my best as I always do."

“I had planned to play to her forehand as discussed with my coach but I was getting the points on her backhand, so I did not change the tactics. I did play a few shot on her forehand too, I did not want her to think that I am playing only on her backhand,” she told PTI. 

“It was a tough match. Staying relaxed helps me both on and off the court. I do breathing exercises that help me during the match. I will give my best whoever I play against in the next round,” Batra added. 

(With inputs from agencies)