WTT Star Contender Goa: Manika, Sutirtha overcome higher-ranked opponents

PANAJI: In yet another day of upsets, Indian women paddlers Manika Batra and Sutirtha Mukherjee excelled for the hosts at the WTT Star Contender Goa, overcoming higher-ranked opponents to move into the last 16 stage.

The biggest upset of the day at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium here was however caused by 20-year-old Korean youngster Cho Daeseong, who ousted Chinese world number one in men's singles Fan Zhendong.

The day, as far as hosts India was concerned, belonged to the two women paddlers Manika and Sutirtha.

Manika, the India number one ousted Puerto Rican star and world number (WR) #14 Adriana Diaz 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8) in the evening session. Sutirtha, currently ranked 146, had earlier in the morning session, got the better of Jia Nan Yuan (wr 18) of France 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-7).

In the pre-quarterfinals, Manika will be up against China's Qian Tianyi (wr #20) while Sutirtha will face yet another veteran Fu Yu (wr #19) of Portugal.

An exhausted Manika, whose defensive chops were too hot to handle for Adriana, said after the match, "I am really happy that I won today against Adriana Diaz. Let's see what happens in the next round. I have played her before and will have some strategies against her. I'll just give my best and I will just play my best game tomorrow for my country and for myself." IANS