Anupama Upadhyaya and M. Tharun emerged victorious in the women’s and men’s singles categories, respectively, at the Kazakhstan International Challenge tournament in Astana on Saturday.
Anupama, holding the 70th spot in the world rankings, secured a straight-game victory (21-15, 21-16) over her compatriot Isharani Baruah, ranked 90th globally, to claim the title in a match lasting 41 minutes.
This marked Anupama’s second consecutive triumph in 2024, following her earlier victory at the Polish Open in Warsaw in March, where she defeated Tanya Hemanth in a challenging three-game encounter.
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Anupama showcased her exceptional net control against Isharani, effortlessly executing winners with her net dribbles and strategically maneuvering her opponent closer to the net to set up decisive shots.
M Tharun wins men’s singles in Kazakhstan International Challenge
In the men’s singles final, Tharun secured a convincing victory over eighth-seeded Malaysian Soong Joo Ven with a scoreline of 21-10, 21-19. This victory marked a significant milestone for the 22-year-old Tharun, who clinched his first title on the senior circuit after finishing as the runner-up in the national championships.
However, in the mixed doubles category, the pair of Sanjai Srivatsa Dhanraj and Maneesha K suffered a defeat in the final, going down 21-9, 7-21, 12-21 against the Malaysian duo of Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien.
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