Deepika Kumari enters Paris Olympics pre-quarterfinals in women's individual archery event

NEW DELHI: Deepika Kumari, a top-notch Indian archer, progressed to the pre-quarterfinals of the women's individual event at the Olympic Games in Paris on Wednesday. She achieved this feat by securing consecutive victories in her matches.Despite a disappointing performance in the team event, Deepika showcased her skills in the individual competition. In her first match, she triumphed over Estonia's Reena Parnat with a score of 6-5 in a thrilling shoot-off, PTI reported.She then went on to defeat Quinty Roeffen of the Netherlands 6-2 in her second match.Deepika's next challenge will be against Germany's Michelle Kroppen in the pre-quarterfinal round, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday.The first encounter between Deepika and her Estonian rival was tightly contested, with both archers matching each other shot for shot until a shoot-off was required to determine the victor.Deepika took the first set but lost the next. After the scores were in the third set, Deepika trailed 3-5 but made a stunning recovery by shooting 10s with all three arrows to level the score 5-5.In the decisive shoot-off, Deepika emerged triumphant, scoring a 9 compared to her opponent's 8, securing her place in the next round of the competition.Deepika had a relatively easier time in her second match, as she didn’t have to exert much effort. Her opponent made several poor shots, which worked to India’s advantage.Deepika claimed the first set with two solid 10s and a 9, but the Dutch archer fought back to take the second set.The Indian archer didn’t perform particularly well in the third set, scoring a 7 with one of her three arrows. However, she still managed to win the set, as her opponent struggled even more, failing to register a single point after her first arrow missed the target completely.Sensing an opportunity, Deepika capitalized on her opponent's difficulties, shooting 10, 9, and 9 in the fourth set. In contrast, her opponent scored 7, 6, and 10, allowing Deepika to clinch the match with a 6-2 victory.