Manika Batra's Olympic Dream Ends, Sreeja Akula Shines

Manika Batra's impressive journey at the Paris Olympics ended following a defeat to Japan's Miu Hirano. Meanwhile, Sreeja Akula advanced to the pre-quarterfinals, continuing Indian table tennis' historic run at the Games. Despite a promising start, Manika could not sustain her momentum, resulting in her exit.

Manika Batra's impressive journey at the Paris Olympics came to a halt following a defeat at the hands of Japan's Miu Hirano. Despite her spirited effort, Manika couldn't manage to surpass the higher-ranked Hirano.

Sreeja Akula, celebrating her 26th birthday, created a milestone by progressing to the women's singles pre-quarterfinals, joining her senior colleague Manika. Sreeja defeated Singapore's Jian Zeng 4-2 in the round of 32.

Facing Miu Hirano, who has been in top form, Manika lost 6-11 9-11 14-12 8-11 6-11. Manika had promising leads in the second and third games but failed to maintain the advantage. Post-match, Manika expressed her disappointment, noting she couldn't leverage her strengths, particularly her forehand.