Athens, March 10 Indian fencer Bhavani Devi produced a moment of brilliance at the 2025 Coupe Acropolis, defeating Japan’s Olympic and World Championships medallist Seri Ozaki in a nail-biting contest. However, her campaign was cut short in the next round as she suffered a setback against China’s Zhang Xinyi in the Table of 64 match.
Bhavani, who made history as India's first-ever Olympic fencer at the Tokyo 2020 Games, has had a challenging journey over the past year, missing out on qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. But in Athens, she showed her mettle by overcoming a tough opponent in Ozaki, clinching a thrilling 15-14 victory in the preliminary Table of 64 match.
Ozaki, a 22-year-old Japanese fencer, boasts an impressive record, having secured a team bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as the 2022 World Championships.
The victory over Ozaki was a statement performance for Bhavani, highlighting her resilience and ability to compete with the world's best. However, her run in the competition ended soon after, as she struggled to find her rhythm against Zhang Xinyi of China in the next round. The Indian fencer found herself on the back foot early in the match and could not recover, eventually bowing out with a 9-15 defeat.
Earlier in the tournament, the 31-year-old Indian had put up a solid performance in the pool stage, winning four out of her six bouts to finish third in her group. Her strong start set the tone for her campaign, but the challenge in the main draw proved tougher.
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