NEW DELHI: Indian table tennis star Manika Batra delivered a stunning performance to advance to the quarterfinals of the Saudi Smash in Jeddah on Wednesday, defeating world No. 14 Nina Mittelham of Germany.
After previously defeating world No. 2 Wang Manyu in the second round, Batra continued her impressive run by triumphing over Mittelham with a scoreline of 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 in just 22 minutes, securing her maiden quarterfinal berth in the event.
This victory marks Batra's first win over Mittelham in four encounters, setting up an intriguing quarterfinal clash against world No. 5 Hina Hayata of Japan.
Ranked 39th in the world, Batra had earlier caused a major upset by defeating China's Wang with a score of 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10 in the second round. In the first round, she had a comfortable victory against Romania's Andreea Dragoman, winning 11-6, 13-11, 11-8.
(With PTI inputs)
