IMAGE: India's Manika Batra reacts during her Round of 32 women's singles Table Tennis match against France's Prithika Pavade at the Olympics on Monday. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
Manika Batra became the first Indian table tennis player to reach the round of 16 in the Olympics singles competition after thrashing higher-ranked Prithika Pavade of France in Paris on Monday.
The 29-year-old 2018 Commonwealth Games gold beat her 19-year-opponent Pavade, whose parents were originally from Puducherry before shifting to France in 2003, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 11-7.
In the Tokyo Olympics, she emerged the first women's table tennis player from India to make it to the Round of 32 in singles.
She did one step better than that on Monday.
Achanta Sharath Kamal had also reached the Round of 32 in men's singles in the Tokyo Olympics.
Manika is currently ranked world No. 28, 10 places lower than Pavade.
