Japan Open 2024 badminton: Malvika Bansod, Ashmita Chaliha ousted; India’s campaign in women’s singles ends in first round
All the Indian badminton players in action on Tuesday were knocked out in the opening round of their respective events. Know all results.
Badminton
India’s challenge in the women’s singles event at Japan Open 2024 badminton tournament ended after Malvika Bansod, Ashmita Chaliha and Aakarshi Kashyap suffered defeats in their respective first round matches in Yokohama on Tuesday.
Ashmita Chaliha was up against top-seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei and lost in straight games 21-16, 21-12.
The 24-year-old Ashmita, ranked 56th, was off to a good start in the opening game, matching up to her experienced opponent at 10-10. She briefly took a lead at 13-12 as well but world No. 4 Tai Tzu Ying won seven points in a row to seal the game.
The second game too was off to a close start at 4-4 but Tai Tzu Ying, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, raced away to a 11-6 lead and eventually sealed the contest in straight games.
World No. 43 Malvika Bansod, meanwhile, lost 23-21, 21-19 to Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova, 61st in the badminton rankings, in a closely contested match.
Malvika began on the front foot and marched to a 7-4 lead before Polina fought back to level the scores. The opening game went down the wire but Polina edged it out 23-21.
Malvika, 22, scaled up in the second game and took a commanding 17-13 lead but let the momentum slide as Polina made a terrific comeback to take the game and match.
World No. 38 Aakarshi Kashyap lost her opening round match 21-13, 21-12 to 15th-ranked Kim Ga Eun of the Republic of Korea in 33 minutes.
In mixed doubles, the duo of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath too were knocked out in the opening round. They lost 10-21, 18-21 to Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati of Indonesia.
The Indian badminton players finished the day with no victories. However, India’s campaign at the Japan Open, a BWF Super 750 event, will continue in men’s singles, mixed doubles and women’s doubles on Wednesday.
Kiran George will take on host nation’s Kanta Tsuneyama in men’s singles. In mixed doubles, B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy will face Denmark’s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund while Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda will feature in women’s doubles.