Macau [China], April 14 (ANI): Indian table tennis stars Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula made strong starts to their campaigns at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup 2025 on Monday, securing dominant victories in their respective group-stage matches.
Manika Batra (World No. 30) breezed past Maylis Giret of New Caledonia (World No. 186) with a convincing 4-0 win in the Group 16 match. The scoreline read 11-1, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4, showcasing Manika’s control and finesse over the game.
Meanwhile, Sreeja Akula (World No. 34) defeated Australia’s Constantina Psihogios (World No. 68) 3-1 in a closely contested match. Sreeja won 11-9, 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, demonstrating her consistency and tactical play.
Both players now look ahead to their next challenges: Manika will face Bruna Takahashi of Brazil, and Sreeja will go up against Bernadette Szocs, a three-time Olympian and the current European Games champion from Romania, in their respective group-stage matches.
The ITTF World Cup follows a two-stage format: group stages and knockouts. The group stages consist of three-player groups, with the group winners advancing to the knockout round. Manika and Sreeja are the only Indian players in the tournament. The knockout stage will begin Thursday, with matches played in a best-of-seven format, continuing through the weekend.
India is eyeing its first-ever medal at the World Cup, with both players aiming to make a significant impact in this prestigious event.
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