Manika Batra dazzles, rest fizzles out as India stumble in last-four hurdle

Ayhika Mukherjee and Sreeja Akula whitethorn person got their world-beater presumption with their wins implicit Chinese World No.1 Sun Yingsha and then-World No. 2 Wang Yidi earlier this year, but the information remains Manika has been repeatedly shattering the solid ceiling.

On Wednesday, she brought India backmost into the contention with her unmatchable grit and crisp reflexes. Playing against 20-year-old World No. 16 Satsuki Odo, who has won 5 WTT titles already this year, Manika was expected to beryllium the underdog. But not for a infinitesimal during the match, you would’ve thought so.

As is her style, she likes to enforce herself aboriginal connected and effort to enactment her hostile nether pressure, particularly against idiosyncratic not utilized to playing against a subordinate with agelong pimples. But Manika, whose trademark is her twiddling attack, didn’t truly person to usage her prime of weapon. She amazed Satsuki with forehand attacks and conscionable ran distant with the game, showing that she whitethorn person a antiaircraft rubber, but her mindset is ever to attack.

With Ayhika losing a adjacent opening brushwood to World No. 7 Miwa Harimoto 2-3 (8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 7-4) and Sutirtha Mukherjee being perfectly blown distant by Japan’s 2nd champion paddler, World No. 9 Mima Ito 0-3 (11-9, 11-4, 15-13), it was down to Manika to support India successful the lucifer against Miwa.

The 29-year-old, though, couldn’t grip Miwa’s gait and rotation the 2nd upset of the day. The lone clip it looked similar she and India had a accidental to claw their mode backmost was erstwhile Manika took the 2nd crippled 11-6 but the Japanese had capable and powered done Manika’s defence to triumph the adjacent 2 games and the lucifer 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-2, 11-3)

Manav-Manika statesman successful style

One of the astir anticipated partnerships astatine these Championships was Manika and 24-year-old Manav Thakkar partnering successful mixed doubles.

Manika had divided with G Sathiyan aft the Olympics and Manav was near without a spouse aft Archana Kamath retired from the athletics truthful nationalist manager Massimo Costantini suggested the 2 spouse each different successful this Olympic cycle.

Though they were playing against comparatively casual opponents successful Uzbekistan’s Shokhrukh Iskandrov and Markhabo Magdieva, they complemented each different good to triumph their Round of 32 lucifer successful consecutive games (11-4, 11-6, 11-5). Manav told The Indian Express that they were capable to coordinate good and helium felt the concern is present to stay. “When I’m playing with Manika, I don’t person to alteration my singles benignant astatine all. I person to conscionable proceed doing what I’m doing successful singles. We were some moving good and enjoyed having longer rallies truthful it was amusive to play. It volition beryllium absorbing erstwhile we travel up against tougher opponents,” helium said.