NEW DELHI: Sreeja Akula celebrated her 26th birthday by advancing to the pre-quarterfinals of the women's singles table tennis competition at the Paris Olympics. With a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Singapore's Jian Zeng in the round of 32, she made history for Indian table tennis by joining compatriot Manika Batra in the pre-quarterfinals.
The match lasted 51 minutes, with Sreeja winning by scores of 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10. Despite losing the opening game, Sreeja's resilience and strategy led her to bounce back and claim victory.