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 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.
"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," she said.
Prithika's parents are originally from Puducherry but the family shifted to France in 2003. She was born in a Paris suburb a year later.
The 19-year-old Prithika had competed in the Tokyo Olympics, making a first-round exit but has improved considerably since then as she is currently ranked 18th in the world as against 28th rank of Manika.
Left-handed Prithika came into the Olympics on the back of a splendid run where she made the WTT final for the first time in her career in June but could not find a way to go past Manika, who dished out a commanding show.
The first game was a tight affair with both players going neck and neck. At 8-8, Manika induced a backhand error from her young rival and closed the game with a ferocious forehand drive that Prithika could not return.
Manika carried the momentum in the second game, taking a 3-1 lead.
Prithika fought back to level the scores, inducing errors from the Indian. However, Manika's attack on Prithika's backhand got her points consistently. In no time, she was leading 9-6. Consecutive backhand errors from Prithika handed Manika the second game.
There was no stopping the seasoned Indian, who got a healthy 3-0 cushion in game three as Prithika struggled with her returns.
A desperate Prithika went all out and got her first point with a thumping forehand winner. With a 5-1 lead in hand, Manika kept attacking the backhand side of the French player, making it 8-4.
Trailing 5-10, Prithika made it a contest by taking four points in a row but Manika needed just one more to close the game. The home favourite netted a backhand drive to concede the game and a 3-0 lead to the Indian.
A ferocious forehand gave Manika a 10-5 lead in the fourth game and five match points. She converted the third when Prithika netted her backhand to win the match in 37 minutes.
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