New Delhi: India’s leading mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto began their campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships with an impressive opening round victory at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in Ningbo, China.
The Indian duo faced Thailand’s Phuwanat Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard in their first round encounter. Kapila and Crasto made a confident start, taking control of the opening game and securing it 21 to 14. The Thai pair fought back strongly in the second game, dominating proceedings to level the match with a 21 to 11 win.
However, the Indians quickly regained their rhythm in the deciding game. Maintaining better control of rallies and applying consistent pressure, they wrapped up the final game 21 to 15 to seal the match and progress to the Round of 16.
The next challenge for the Indian pair will be a tough clash against Malaysia’s Cheng Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who currently hold a 2 to 0 head to head advantage over Kapila and Crasto.
In other mixed doubles matches involving Indian players, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh were eliminated after losing to Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien in straight games 21 to 16 and 21 to 15. Meanwhile, Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani also exited the tournament after a 21 to 13, 21 to 19 defeat against eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie.
Attention will now shift to the singles events where several top Indian players are set to begin their campaigns. Two time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu will face Wong Ling Ching of Malaysia in the women’s singles Round of 32. Other Indian women competing in the main draw include Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod, and Tanvi Sharma.
In the men’s singles category, H. S. Prannoy will take on Nguyen Hai Dang of Vietnam, while Ayush Shetty faces a challenging opening round match against China’s Li Shi Feng. Former world championship silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth will compete against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, while Lakshya Sen is scheduled to meet Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the opening round.
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