WTT Champions Frankfurt: Manika Batra exits in Round of 32

Indian table tennis star Manika Batra made a first-round exit from the WTT Champions Frankfurt following her 3-0 defeat against Korea’s Shin Yubin in the Round of 32 at the Suwag Energie Arena, Frankfurt on Monday.

Shin proved too strong for Manika, winning in straight sets (11-6, 13-11, 11-6) in a match that highlighted her dominance across serves and returns.

The Korean player tallied 35 points overall compared to Batra’s 23, securing victory with strong serves and a more consistent game.

Despite her early exit in Frankfurt, Batra recently achieved a historic milestone at the WTT Champions Montpellier, where she became the first Indian table tennis player to reach the quarterfinals of a WTT Champions event.

Along the way, she defeated Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, a major upset, before falling to China’s Qian Tianyi 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 12-10) in a close quarterfinals match.

This accomplishment has helped Batra rise to World No. 30, making her the highest-ranked Indian female paddler.

The WTT Champions series launched two years ago, brings together the world’s top 32 male and female players for high-stakes competition, offering significant ranking points and a prize pool of $500,000.

Representing India alongside Batra is Sreeja Akula, as no Indian male player currently ranks in the world’s top 32.

Sreeja will be in action later today against Adriana Diaz.