Formidable women’s doubles duo Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto, along with Unnati Hooda, have advanced to the semifinals of the Odisha Masters badminton tournament. Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto beat ASung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui from Chinese Taipei as they moved a step closer to the trophy.
Ashwini and Tanisha faced Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui from Chinese Taipei in the quarter-final. In the first set, the Indian duo secured a 22-20 victory, with Tanisha showcasing variations in her shots during extended rallies, and Ashwini leveraging her experience.
Entering the second set, Ashwini and Tanisha maintained their aggressive stance, securing an 11-7 lead at the interval. Both teams engaged in intense, prolonged rallies. However, Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui staged a remarkable comeback, winning the set 22-20 and pushing the match to a decisive third set.
Undeterred, the Indian duo surged ahead in the decider, establishing an 11-5 lead at the interval. With Ashwini and Tanisha dominating the court with their superb shots, they extended their lead to 17-9. The duo ultimately closed the set with a convincing 21-14 win, securing their spot in the semifinal round.
Unnati Hooda’s stellar run in Odisha Masters continues
Unnati Hooda excelled in women’s singles, winning her match against Ashmita Chaliha with a score of 21-18, 21-16, advancing to the next round. Hooda continued her winning streak by defeating Anupama Upadhyaya 16-21, 21-7, 21-15, securing a place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, former World No.1 Nozomi Okuhara triumphed over Stephanie Widjaja with scores of 21-11 and 21-16.
In mixed doubles, the Indian duo of Tanisha and Dhruv Kapila faced Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Winny Oktavina Kandow. Displaying aggression, the Indian pair took an early lead of 7-3 and clinched the first game with a score of 21-16. In the second game, they continued their dominance, securing a 13-4 lead and sealing an easy victory with a score of 21-12.
In women’s doubles action, the pair of Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda secured a quarterfinal spot by winning their match against Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker with scores of 21-12, 14-21, 21-19.
However, in another mixed doubles match, Ashwini and Rohan Kapoor faced a defeat, going down 14-21, 21-17, 14-21 to their compatriots Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy.
In men’s singles, Chirag Sen emerged victorious with scores of 21-10, 15-21, 21-17, securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
