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Table Tennis

Tokyo 2020 - All you need to know about Manika Batra's next opponent: Sofia Polcanova

Manika Batra will face Austria's Sofia Polcanova in Round 3 of Women's Singles Table Tennis

Manika Batra vs Sofia Polcanova
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Manika Batra and Sofia Polcanova have played each other once in international competitions. (Image: Getty)

By

Sayak Dipta Dey

Updated: 26 July 2021 6:54 AM GMT

Indian table tennis star Manika Batra made history as she became the first-ever table tennis athlete from India to advance to Round 3 at the Tokyo Olympics. Batra came back from behind to defeat Margaryta Pesotska (Ukraine) with 4-11, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5, and 11-7 in Round 2 in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Center on Sunday.

Batra had earlier steamrolled Tin-Tin Ho (Great Britain) in the first round with straight games, 11-7, 11-6, 12-10 and 11-9. The Commonwealth Games 2018 Champion has now set up her Round 3 clash with Sofia Polcanova (Austria) on 26 July.

Who is Sofia Polcanova?

Sofia Polcanova is a Moldovan-Austrian table tennis athlete who made it till Round 2 in the Rio Olympics 2016 and was part of the Austrian Women's Team Event as well, which faced a first-round exit. Polcanova is currently ranked 17th in the World Rankings and seeded 10th in the Women's Singles event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Polcanova's best-ever rank was 14th in the world.

Sofia Polcanova Form

The left-handed comes into her second Olympic event after a Round of 16 finish at the 2020 ITTF finals in China. She also could only make it to the Round of 16 in the ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open in Doha earlier in the previous year a disappointing outing in the TTF World Tour Platinum German Open in Magdeburg, Germany.

Manika Batra vs Sofia Polcanova: Head to Head

Batra has faced Polcanova once in international competitions back in 2011 at the Junior Championships in Spain where Polcanova cruised to a 4-1 win. The duo faced one in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) as well back in 2018 where Batra shocked the then World No. 10, 11-10, 5-11, and 11-10.


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