WTT Contender Muscat 2022: Manika Batra storms into pre-quarters in comeback match

India's top female paddler Manika Batra is back to her winning ways after a medal-less outing at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 as she defeated World No. 29 Korean Shin Yubin in a heated clash to qualify for the pre-quarters at the WTT Contender Muscat.

Manika, who had a particularly difficult outing at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July-August was desperately searching for her form and up against the talented 18-year-old Yubin of Korea, the World No. 44 Indian paddler could find answers on time and defeated her 3-1 (2-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6).

Meanwhile, in the other women's singles matches of the day, Diya Chitale also made a winning start to her women's singles campaign as she won against Singapore's Zhang Wanling, 3-1 (9-11, 11-3, 6-11, 4-11) and progressed into the pre-quarterfinals.

Other than Manika and Diya however, neither Sreeja Akula, Archana Kamath nor the Bengali trio of Ayhika Mukherjee, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Prapti Sen could manage to win their first-round clashes.

While Sreeja, the reigning National Champion lost to World No. 20 Chinese shuttler Chen Xingtong in a tight clash, 3-1, Archana Kamath lost to China's Chu Hanwen, 3-1.

Meanwhile, Ayhika Mukherjee lost to World No. 13 from Germany Nina Mittelham in a straight games affair. Tokyo Olympian Sutirtha Mukherjee lost to World No. 36 Lily Zhang, 3-1 and Prapti Sen lost to Elizabeta Samara in a close encounter, 3-2.

In the men's singles, Harmeet Desai, who qualified for the main draw, failed to continue onwards after suffering an early defeat against seasoned Korean paddler Lee Sangsu, losing 3-0.

India still has campaigns in the doubles remaining at the WTT Contender Muscat as well and the medal chances from the event are very much alive.