Manika Batra is set to face off against Japan’s Hina Hayata in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Hayata, a former Asian champion and multiple World Championships medalist, has bested Manika in two out of their three previous matches.
Manika made waves at the Saudi Smash 2024 by defeating world No. 2 Wang Manyu from China in an impressive upset. She considers this win to be the highlight of her career so far. Prior to this, she had also triumphed over Andreea Dragoman of Romania in the opening round.
Although she had recently been surpassed by Sreeja Akula as India’s top-ranked women’s singles player, Manika’s recent performances are likely to boost her back to the number one spot. Her highest singles ranking to date is 33, which she achieved in early 2023.
Manika Batra is currently the sole remaining Indian table tennis player in the competition, as other players like Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula were eliminated in the earlier rounds. Various Indian doubles pairs also faced defeats in the tournament.
The Saudi Smash will come to a close on Saturday, shaping up to be an exciting conclusion for Manika Batra and the remaining competitors.