India’s campaign at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025 came to a quiet close, as top paddlers including Manika Batra, Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah exited the tournament without reaching the later stages. Despite glimpses of promise, the tournament exposed a familiar gap between India’s best and the world’s elite in table tennis.
Manika Batra: Lone Main Draw Survivor
Manika Batra, the country’s leading women’s singles player, gave India its only main draw singles victory. She started strong with a confident 3-0 win over Portugal’s seasoned player Fu Yu, using her trademark long-pimpled rubber to good effect. However, her run ended in the next round, where she lost in straight games to China’s He Zhuojia, a top-25 player known for her speed and control. The match highlighted Manika’s improved temperament but also the difficulty of competing with top-tier Chinese opposition on a consistent basis.
Men’s Singles: A Disappointing Outing
The men’s singles challenge was cut short in the early rounds. Manav Thakkar, currently one of India’s most consistent players on the international circuit, went down 0-3 to China’s Xue Fei, failing to generate sustained pressure in any of the games. Manush Shah, Harmeet Desai, Payas Jain, and other Indian hopefuls couldn’t make it past the qualifiers or early matches either, leaving fans hoping for more in future events.
Doubles and Mixed Doubles: Brief Runs
In the men’s doubles event, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah—fresh from a final appearance at the WTT Contender in Skopje—couldn’t replicate that momentum. They lost a close encounter to the Korean duo of Kim Minhyeok and Park Ganghyeon, despite taking one game off the experienced pair.
In mixed doubles, Manika Batra partnered with young Payas Jain. The duo showed good coordination in patches and managed to win a game, but ultimately lost 1-3 to the Hong Kong team of Ng Wing Lam and Yiu Kwan To.
What the Results Reveal
India’s early exit in Ljubljana once again underlines the depth gap between Indian paddlers and consistent top-30 players from China, Korea, and Europe. While Manika remains a reliable performer in major tournaments, the men’s contingent continues to struggle with consistency and temperament at critical moments.
Moreover, although the Indian doubles teams have shown signs of improvement—especially Thakkar and Shah—the lack of breakthrough wins against higher-ranked pairs indicates a need for greater match sharpness and tactical discipline.
The Road Ahead
With several major international events on the horizon, including the Paris Olympics and next year’s Asian Championships, Indian players must focus on:
Gaining more exposure through participation in higher-tier international events
Focusing on physical endurance and tactical variation
Creating stable doubles pairs and investing in pair-specific training
Mental conditioning to handle pressure points better
India’s run in Ljubljana may not have ended with medals or semifinals, but the lessons from it could shape stronger performances in the second half of 2025.
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