Indian paddler Manika Batra secured a 3-2 comeback win against South Korea’s Kim Nayeong to enter the quarterfinals of WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguacu in Brazil on Saturday.
Manika lost the first game 6-11 against the seventh seed Nayeong before taking the second game 11-5 to level the score. The Indian bulldozed her opponent in the third game, leading 10-0 at one point, before taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
The South Korean answered back with a 11-7 win in the fourth game, but Manika won the decider 11-4, and the 35-minute match, to advance in the competition.
After Manika’s match, it was a battle of the southpaws as Manush Shah went up against second seed Benedikt Duda of Germany in their Round of 16 match.
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Manush took the first game 11-4 but Duda reaffirmed his seeding. The German clinched three consecutive games (11-6, 11-8, 11-7) to beat the Indian in 30 minutes and book his spot in the last eight.
Earlier in the day, Harmeet Desai saw his singles campaign cut short after losing his Round of 16 match to South Korea’s Oh Jun-sung.
Harmeet suffered a 1-3 defeat against fourth seed Jun-sung in a match which lasted a little over 30 minutes.
The Indian conceded five consecutive points in the first game before losing it 3-11. He improved in the second game but the South Korean clinched it 11-8 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Harmeet opened his account in the fixture with a 11-9 win in the third game before Jun-sung won the fourth game 11-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Later in the day, top seeded men’s doubles pair of Manush and Manav Thakkar will face second seed duo of Duda and Dang Qiu from Germany in the final.