Manika Batra becomes first Indian to reach quarterfinals of The World Table Tennis Champions event

Manika Batra has made table tennis history as she became the first Indian to qualify for quarter-finals at a WTT Champions event.

Indian paddler Manika yesterday defeated Bernadette Szocs of Romania 3-1 in the round of 16 in Montpellier, France. Manika will next face China’s Qian Tianyi today.

Manika had also beaten the Romanian at the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this year with a scoreline of 3-2.

She had become the first table tennis player from India to reach the last 16 in the singles table tennis competition in an Olympics. Batra, a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist.

The other Indian in the fray in women’s singles, Sreeja Akula had lost 2-3 against world No. 13 Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico in the first round.