Batra shocks world No 4, helps India to TT gold
GOLD COAST: As Manika Batra faced Singapore’s Zhou Yihan in the fourth match of women’s team competition in table tennis, she started playing the national anthem in her mind. The score was 7-7 and the Indian needed four points to seal victory for India. Against an opponent quite capable of staging a comeback, any mistake on Manika’s part would have pushed India into a high-pressure fifth rubber with Singapore on top.
“I played the national anthem in my mind, egging myself on to not allow her to come back,” Manika said after sealing victory for India by winning the next four points. “I stuck to my tactics.”
Manika had earlier defeated world No 4 Feng Tianwei, Singapore’s top singles player, for the first time to set the ball rolling.
The 22-year-old from Delhi, ranked 58, was a revelation as she punched above her weight. She changed her tactics. Instead of blocking on backhand and attacking on forehand as she usually does, Manika surprised Tianwei by doing just the opposite and got the better of the Singapore player for the first time.
“This is definitely my best performance ever and I am really ecstatic. I have a fantastic team and their support really helped me. Before the match, I sat down with my coach and we decided the strategy as Singapore were the favourites. I am really happy to have helped the team win gold,” Manika said after the match.
India’s Italian coach Messimo Constantini too was ecstatic following the gold medal win. “Singapore were super favourites for gold but we have a very good set of players. Ahead of the final, I told them about a World Championship match a few years ago when Singapore used similar tactics to stun China. I said we can do the same thing against Singapore and they did it,” said Constantini.
The coach was happy with Manika. “She is the real star as she won each point in a different way, not allowing the Singapore players to read her game and tactics. I devised tactics but Manika executed them perfectly. You can devise tactics but if you are not able to execute them then they are of no use,” said Constantini. Results: Manika Batra bt Tianwei Feng 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7; Mengyu Yu bt Madhurika Patkar 13-11, 11-2, 11-6; Mouma Das/madhurika Patkar bt Mengyu/yihan Zhou 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7; Manika Batra bt Yihan Zhou 11-7, 11-4, 11-7