The Saudi Smash 2024 tournament has brought some exciting moments in the world of table tennis. Manika Batra, an Indian player, made history by defeating world No. 2 and former world champion Wang Manyu from China in the round of 16, securing her place in the quarters on Thursday. This victory was a major milestone for her career and she is expected to continue performing well as she faces Japan’s world No. 5 Hina Hayata, a former Asian champion and multiple World Championships medallist.
Manika Batra has faced Hina Hayata three times before, with Hayata winning twice. However, this time Manika is determined to come out on top and reclaim her spot as India’s No. 1 table tennis player. She is currently ranked 33, which is her best singles ranking so far. With Sreeja Akula taking over as the top-ranked women’s singles player in India, Manika’s recent performances are expected to help her climb back up the rankings and secure her place at the top of Indian table tennis once again.
The Saudi Smash event is set to end on Saturday with only one Indian player remaining in competition – Manika Batra. She is joined by Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula who were eliminated in the first round of men’s and women’s singles respectively, as well as the men’s doubles team of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah and the women’s doubles team of Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee who were defeated in the second round. The mixed doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and Yashaswini Ghorpade were also knocked out in the quarter-finals