Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik put up a valiant fight in the quarter-final of the women's 58 kg freestyle event on Wednesday but Russia's Valeria Koblova overpowered her with a devastating neck hold to register a commanding 9-2 win. Malik can still be in contention for a medal through repechage if Koblova reaches the final.
Neither players looked to take the initiative in the game early on and Malik went behind in the game through infringement, for which she had to make a tackle within 30 seconds. The last couple of minutes in the first period saw Koblova fend off Malik's attacks.
The 23-year-old from Haryana came back with a bang as the second period started and took the lead around the four-minute mark, forcing her opponent out of the ring. The lead was short-lived as it was all Koblova from there. She pinned Malik using both her legs and elbow to take four points. Malik lost momentum from there on, as Koblova grabbed four more points towards the end to finish with a comprehensive 9-2 win.