Paris 2024: Manika becomes 1st Indian TT player to reach Olympics pre-QFs

Manika Batra made history by becoming the first Indian table tennis player to reach the singles pre-quarterfinals at the Olympic Games with a fluent 4-0 win over world number 18 and home favourite Prithika Pavade here on Monday.

The 29-year-old Manika dominated from start to finish for a 11-9 11-6 11-9 11-7 win over Prithika, who has Indian roots.

It turned out to be one of the most memorable matches for an Indian table tennis player in Olympics history. Manika had reached the round of 32 at the Tokyo Olympics and she bettered that performance on Monday.

"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," Manika told PTI after her match.

Manika's ploy to attack Prithika's backhand proved very effective but that was not the strategy she had devised before the match.

"I had planned to play to her fore