With a 4-3 win over higher-ranked Chen Szu-Yu of Chinese Taipei on Friday, star paddler Manika Batra became the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the Asian Cup Table Tennis tournament.
In a hard-fought women’s singles quarterfinal, Manika defeated Chen, ranked 23rd in the ITTF rankings, 6-11 11-6 11-5 11-7 8-11 9-11 11-9.
On Thursday, the Indian ace stunned world No. 7 Chen Xingtong of China in a round of 16 match.