Doha: Manika Batra showcased grit and tactical discipline to outlast China’s Qin Yuxuan on Friday in a dramatic Round of 64 encounter at the WTT Star Contender Doha 2026.
The Indian star was pushed to the edge throughout the five-game contest but held firm to claim a 3–2 victory, winning 9–11, 13–11, 5–11, 11–7, 11–8 in a match that stretched late into the night and repeatedly shifted in momentum.
Manika’s triumph keeps India’s hopes alive in the women’s singles draw after a challenging opening round for the other Indian representatives. Ayhika Mukherjee exited after a straight-games loss to Germany’s Annett Kaufmann, who secured her passage with scores of 11–1, 11–9, 11–7.
Taneesha Kotecha also fell in three games, losing 13–11, 11–8, 11–2 against Wang Xiaotong of China, while Swastika Ghosh was beaten 11–6, 11–5, 13–11 by Singapore’s Zeng Jian.
The men’s singles session produced similar setbacks. Manav Thakkar opened strongly against China’s Zhou Qihao with back-to-back game wins, but the world-class left-hander mounted a sharp turnaround to prevail 8–11, 5–11, 11–6, 11–9, 11–5.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran pushed Korean opponent Park Ganghyeon but could not sustain momentum, going down 11–6, 7–11, 11–4, 11–8.
Japan’s Ryoichi Yoshiyama closed the day with an 11–4, 7–11, 11–7, 11–8 win over Manush Shah.
Despite a string of early exits, Manika’s passage to the Round of 32 ensures India remains in contention as the tournament heads into its deeper stages.
