File image by Manika Batra.©
Indian star sailor Manika Batra shocked world number 14 Bernadette Szocs of Romania as she competed in the women's singles quarter-finals of the WTT Champions event in Montpellier, France. The world number 30 Indian won 3-1 (11-9 6-11 13-11 11-9) in 29 minutes against eighth-seeded Szocs in a round of 16 matches on Friday evening. Batra, a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist, saved two game points in the third game to keep her nose in front and then sealed the tie in the next game, converting her second match point.
Batra now enjoys a 6-5 head-to-head record advantage against Szocs.
She had also defeated Szocs in India's 3-2 win over Romania in the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.
Batra will face the Chinese Qian Tianyi on Saturday.
World No. 21 Qian stunned top seed and compatriot Wang Yidi 3-0 (11-7 11-9 13-11) in a new round of 16 matches.
Batra had defeated American Lily Zhang 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 12-10) in the first round.
The other Indian in the women's singles battle, Sreeja Akula, had lost 2-3 (11-6, 7-11, 1-11, 11-8, 8-11) to world number 13 Adriana Diaz in the first round from Puerto Rico. round.
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