Indian archer Deepika Kumari put up a spirited performance to beat former world champion Ksenia Perova of the Russian Olympic Committee in a shoot-off. By virtue of this win, she advanced to the women’s individual quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Friday.

Both the archers locked 5-5 after the regulation five-setter, the world no 1 hit a perfect 10 to topple the Russian, who is a team silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In the one-arrow shoot-off, while the Russian hit a 7 to crash out of the pre-quarterfinals.

“Now it’s going to be tougher and tougher ahead,” said Deepika, who is chasing the country’s first ever Olympic medal in archery.

“I’ve to fight and shoot better. I hope to do better in the next round. Right now, I need extra focus,” she said.

“I can’t win if I’m nervous. I’m trying my best to regain my touch as quickly as possible,” Deepika said of her nervy outing against the Russian.

She had failed to close out after taking 4-2 and 5-3 lead in the third and fifth sets respectively.

“I’m really nervous. Yes, I started off well but it was all about Olympic pressure. It really became difficult (afterwards) to find the yellow-ring (that gives scores of either 9 or 10).”

For the three-time Olympian Deepika, this was her first win from three matches against the 2017 world champion as she became the first Indian to make the last-eight in an individual event.

Deepika will face 20-year-old Korean top seed An San who bounced back from a set behind to oust local favourite Ren Hayakawa 6-4.

The Korean, who had broken a 25-year-old Olympic record en route to topping the ranking round, displayed incredible shooting of three 10s in her last three arrows to set up a clash against the Indian.

Deepika had faced the Korean once earlier, in the final of the ‘Tokyo 2020 Test Event‘ at the same venue of Yumenoshima Park in 2019, and the Indian had lost to her younger opponent in straight sets.