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Manika Batra secured victories in both her singles matches as the Indian women's team blew out Hungary 3-2 for its first win of the World Table Tennis Championships held in Busan on February 18.
However, the Indian men's team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Poland in its second group match.
Manika’s comeback after losing singles vs China
It was an impressive comeback from Manika, who had lost both her singles matches against China on February 16. India were on the verge of a major upset but ultimately fell short 2-3.
Manika, India's top-ranked player at 36, had to battle hard against Dora Madaras in the opening singles match before pulling off an 8-11 11-5 12-10 8-11 11-4 victory on February 18.
Georgina Pota levelled the tie by defeating Sreeja Akula with an 11-3 11-7 9-11 9-11 11-8 in the second singles match. Sreeja had caused an upset by defeating world number 2 Wang Yidi in the tournament opener.
Ayhika Mukherkjee, who had beaten world number one Sun Yinghsa on February 16, gave India a 2-1 lead with a 7-11 11-6 11-7 11-8 win over Bernadett Balint.
The competition extended to the final match when Madaras defeated Sreeja 11-4 11-6 5-11 11-7 in the fourth singles.
In the crucial deciding match, Manika maintained her composure against Pota to secure an 11-5 14-12 13-11 victory. India's upcoming group matches are against Spain and Uzbekistan. China, with three wins in as many games, is expected to lead the group.
Harmeet's win over Poland
In the men's tie, Harmeet Desai was the only player to secure a victory against Poland, defeating Macie Kubik 12-10 13-11 9-11 11-5 in the second singles match.
Sharath Kamal and Manav Thakkar suffered defeats in their respective singles matches. Harmeet returned for the fourth singles but couldn't prevail against Jakub Dyjas, losing 7-11 7-11 11-8 12-14.
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