Manika Batra stunned world No. 2 Wang Manyu of China on Monday to advance to the Saudi Smash 2024 round of 16 in Jeddah. It's a fantastic day for Indian table tennis.
In just 37 minutes, Batra sealed the deal by crushing Wang, the World No. 2 from China, 3-1 in games of 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, and 12-10.
"I accomplished the greatest thing of my single life today." After her triumph, a delighted Batra said, "I have been working hard in my training sessions with my coach, Aman Balgu, along with my practice partner and trainers, and my hard work paid off."
It takes days, months, and years of hard work to attain such results, therefore I'm really delighted that it wasn't just one day of effort. I would want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped, encouraged, and stood by me.
"I put up a fight for every ball in the game, and I'll continue to do so in the upcoming tournaments and the next match."
Along with her impressive victory over Romania's Andreea Dragoman, Batra began the tournament with a bang, winning three straight games on Saturday 11-6, 13-11, and 11-8.
Batra will now get to play Germany's Nina Mittelham in an attempt to secure a spot in the quarterfinals after her triumph.
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