WTT Champions: Manika Batra’s campaign ends after defeat to China’s Tianyi in quarters

The Indian, the world No. 30, went down to Tianyi 8-11, 8-11, 10-12 in just 25 minutes on Saturday night.

FILE PHOTO: India’s Manika Batra plays against Germany’s Annett Kaufmann during the Women’s Team Table Tennis Quarterfinal Game between India and Germany at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. | Photo Credit: PTI

Star paddler Manika Batra crashed out of the WTT Champions in the quarterfinal after a straight game defeat against China’s Qian Tianyi in Montpellier, France.

The Indian, the world No. 30, went down to Tianyi 8-11, 8-11, 10-12 in just 25 minutes on Saturday night.

Batra, a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist, fought well in all three games, but her Chinese opponent played the crunch points better to emerge the winner.

The first Indian to enter the WTT quarterfinals, Batra had shocked world number 14 Bernadette Szocs of Romania 11-9, 6-11, 13-11, 11-9 on Friday to enter the last eight.

Tianyi too had caused an upset in the pre-quarterfinals, stunning world No. 4 compatriot and the top seed here Yidi Wang 11-7, 11-9, 13-11.

Tianyi will now face third seed Japanese Miwa Harimoto in the semifinals on Sunday.

Sreeja Akula, the other Indian competitor in the WTT and world No. 25, had made a first-round exit after a defeat to world number 13 Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico 6-11, 11-7, 11-1, 8-11, 11-8.