Tokyo Olympics: Manika Batra overcomes Ho-Tin Tin's challenge to advance to the 2nd round

India's top-ranked table tennis player and world no. 63 Manika Batra started off her second Olympic campaign with a win over world no. 94 in straight sets, 11-7, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9. Needing just 30 minutes to register this massive win, Manika was phenomenal from start to finish and has now booked herself a berth in the second round of the Women's Singles.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion in Women's singles event made a good start to her campaign where, this time she is backing herself to win a medal and make her country proud and surprise herself. She steamrolled past Ho-Tin Tin and made it very clear that she's here for a podium finish.

After a disappointing outing in the Mixed Doubles where Sharath-Manika were handed a crushing defeat by the World No. 1 pair and was sent packing, Manika sought redemption in her Women's Singles encounter against Great Britain's Ho- Tin Tin.

The first set belonged to the Indian where she comfortably took the set 11-7. The rapid pace nature and free flowing style of Manika was eminent where she looked dominant and didn't give Ho-Tin Tin a chance for a comeback.

The second set was a replica of the first one. Ho-Tin Tin didn't help her cause with unforced errors which helped Manika to close out the second set, 11-6.

The third set was a tad competitive one which the scoreline would suggest but it could have gone the English woman's way as she had a 4 point lead before Manika made a brilliant comeback taking the set 12-10. Manika proved way too strong for her compatriot winning the match in straight sets with a 11-9 in the 4th set.

Interestingly enough, with this victory, Manika Batra becomes the first Indian woman to win a match in 29 years in the Women's Singles of the Olympics!

She now moves into the 2nd round and would be looking to brush off her disappointing performance in the Mixed Doubles and try to win a medal in the Singles category and create more history, like she.