Tennis

Sreeja Akula, India's rising table tennis star, has etched her name in history by becoming the second Indian woman to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics. On her 26th birthday, Akula displayed remarkable resilience and determination to overcome Singapore's Jian Zeng in a thrilling 4-2 victory.Akula's journey to the pre-quarterfinals was not without its challenges. She dropped the opening game but rallied back with unwavering spirit, winning the next three games to take a commanding lead. Zeng fought back to claim the fifth game, but Akula remained composed and sealed the deal in the sixth game, securing her place in the next round.Akula's victory is a testament to her hard work and dedication. Last month, she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 24, displacing Manika Batra as India's top women's singles player. Akula's triumph at the WTT Contender singles title in Lagos in June further solidified her status as a rising star in the sport.In the pre-quarterfinals, Akula will face a formidable opponent in China's world number one Sun Yingsha. Despite the daunting task ahead, Akula is confident in her abilities and determined to make history once again.Akula's success is not only a personal achievement but also a significant milestone for Indian table tennis. It marks the first time that two Indian women have reached the pre-quarterfinals of the Olympics, a testament to the growing strength and depth of the sport in India.

Indian table tennis star Manika Batra has achieved the biggest win of her singles career by defeating World No. 2 Wang Manyu of China at the Saudi Smash tournament. Batra, ranked 39th in the world, stunned the second-seeded Chinese player 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10 in just 37 minutes.Batra's victory is a significant milestone in her career, as she has previously struggled against top-ranked opponents. In the World Cup last month, she lost 0-4 to Wang Manyu. However, in this match, Batra displayed exceptional resilience and determination.After losing the opening game, Batra fought back to take the next two games quickly. Wang Manyu kept herself in the match, but Batra remained composed and claimed the last two points to seal the victory."It is the biggest achievement of my singles career," Batra said after the match. "I am really happy that I won against her. I have been working hard in my training sessions with my coach Aman Balgu and my trainers."In mixed doubles, Harmeet Desai and Yashaswini Ghorpade also had a successful outing, defeating the Spanish fifth-seeded pair of Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao 3-2 (11-5, 5-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7) to reach the quarterfinals.Asian Games bronze medallists Ayhika and Sutirtha Mukherjee also advanced to the pre-quarters in women's doubles, defeating Mariam and Marwa Alhodaby 3-0 (11-7, 1-3, 11-4).However, Sreeja Akula, who recently surpassed Manika in the world rankings to occupy the No. 38 position, lost 7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 12-14 to Jieni Saho after leading the Portuguese player in two games.Other Indian players, including A. Sharath Kamal, Archana Kamath, Manav Thakkar, and Sutirtha Mukherjee, also put up good fights in singles but ultimately fell short.