Manika Batra secured victories in both her singles matches as the Indian women’s team narrowly overcame Hungary 3-2, marking its inaugural win at the World Table Tennis Championships.
In a commendable turnaround, Manika rebounded from her previous defeats against China on Friday, where India narrowly missed a significant upset, falling short at 2-3. Facing off against Dora Madaras in the opening singles, Manika displayed resilience, clinching a hard-fought 8-11, 11-5, 12-10, 8-11, 11-4 victory on Sunday.
Despite Manika’s triumph, Georgina Pota levelled the tie by securing an 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8 win over Sreeja Akula in the second singles, following Sreeja’s earlier stunning victory against world number 2 Wang Yidi.
Ayhika Mukherkjee, who defeated world number one Sun Yinghsa on Friday, propelled India to a 2-1 lead with a 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 triumph over Bernadett Balint. However, the competition intensified as Madaras overcame Sreeja 11-4, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7 in the fourth singles, extending the contest to a decisive finale.
In the crucial decider against Pota, Manika maintained her composure, clinching an 11-5, 14-12, 13-11 victory. India’s upcoming group matches include encounters against Spain and Uzbekistan, while China, with three consecutive wins, remains the anticipated group leader.
