Manika Batra shocked world number six Hina Hayata of Japan in the bronze play-off here on Saturday, becoming the first Indian paddler to take home a medal in the ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup.
To pull off the amazing achievement, the world’s number 44 defeated Hayata 4-2 (11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 11-2). Manika will receive a historic bronze as well as USD 10,000 for her efforts.
“Beating the best players is a great win for me. I had a great time playing and competing well against them to get a great outcome.
I’ll keep including the extra yard in all of my next competitions. Manika, who was visibly upset, stated, “I expect all of you to provide your complete support.”
The semifinal match between second-seeded Mima Ito and Manika ended in a 2-4 (8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 7-11) loss for Manika earlier in the day.
Even though Ito had a shaky start, she finished strong and defeated the Indian player with a percentage play consistent with her reputation and rankings.
When she was down and out and fourth-seed Hayata had the advantage with four game points at 10-6 in the fourth game of the bronze-medal playoff, Manika’s tenacity came to the fore.
Manika then pushed herself into the action, employing every trick in her arsenal, assaulting the flanks with crisp forehands, including some counters that brooked no resistance, and employing the backhand punches well and strategically.
At deuce, the Japanese had the service, but an unanticipated error allowed Manika to move up with a luck point (11-10) and take the winning point when she had the service back with her.
Hayata’s service hit the net and the ball dropped on her side to fall down.
To narrow the gap, the Japanese ran with a strong lead in the subsequent race.
Manika, though, altered her approach in the sixth game, going on the offensive right away and handing her opponent the opening point at 3-1. At 5-2, she added another point, but that was all she could muster.
Manika defeated Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu, ranked 23rd, in the quarterfinals before defeating world number 7 Chen Xingtong of China in the round of 16 to earn the bronze.
In the 39-year history of the Asian Cup, Manika on Friday ensured the best finish by an Indian after Achanta Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan, who finished sixth in 2015 and 2019, respectively.