Bhavani Devi makes it to pre-quarters, fuels India's hope of maiden Asian Games medal in fencing

Hangzhou: Star Indian fencer Bhavani Devi stormed into the women’s sabre individual pre-quarterfinals, earning the top rank in her pool at the Asian Games here on Tuesday.

In pursuit of a maiden Asian Games medal in fencing, the 30-year-old Tokyo Olympian out-skilled all her five opponents to top the pool.

She started off by beating her Singapore rival Juliet Jie Min Heng 5-2, and then out-skilled Saudi Arabia’s Alhsna Alhammad 5-1.

Against Karina Dospay, the Asian Championships bronze medal-winning Indian prevailed 5-3.

In her last two pool fixtures, she easily beat Uzbekistan’s Zaynab Dayibekova and Roksana Khatun of Bangladesh by identical 5-1 margins to top the pool.

The 30-year-old, who became the first Indian fencer to make the Tokyo Olympics, will face Thailand’s Tonkhaw Phokaew in the round of 16.