Manika Batra, the Indian table tennis player who has been in the news for her impressive performances at the Saudi Smash 2024 tournament, is set to face Japan’s world No. 5 Hina Hayata in the quarters on Thursday. Hayata, a former Asian champion and multiple World Championships medallist, has defeated Batra twice before, but this time around, Batra will be determined to come out on top.
In recent years, Batra has been making waves in the table tennis world with her impressive victories over top-ranked players from China. During the Saudi Smash 2024 tournament, she defeated world No. 2 and former world champion Wang Manyu from China in the round of 16, which was considered one of her biggest achievements yet. She had also defeated world No. 57 Andreea Dragoman of Romania in the opening round.
Batra’s recent performances have been particularly strong and are expected to propel her back up to her highest ranking as well as reclaim her position as India’s top female player. Currently ranked at number 33, she is just one win away from reaching her best single ranking of number three.
The Saudi Smash event is coming to an end on Saturday and only two Indians remain – Batra and Sutirtha Mukherjee who lost in the women’s doubles quarter-finals earlier this week alongside Manush Shah who lost with his partner Manav Thakkar in men’s doubles quarter-finals last week Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula were eliminated early in the competition with no other Indians remaining apart from Batra and Mukherjee