Sindhu survives scare before entering quarters

LUCKNOW: PV Sindhu survived a scare before beating unheralded compatriot Ira Sharma in three games to enter the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Syed Modi International Super 300 badminton tournament here on Thursday.

Sharma, ranked 147th in the world as against 18th of Sindhu, stretched the second-round match to the decider after winning the second game.

Top seed Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, recovered in time to pocket the deciding game and win the match 21-10, 12-21, 21-15 in 49 minutes.

The 29-year-old Sindhu has been struggling for some time and she last clinched a title at the Singapore Open in 2022.

She faces China’s Dai Wang, ranked 118th in the world, in the quarterfinals. Wang beat Devika Sihag of India 19-21 21-18 21-11 in another second-round match.

Unlike Sindhu, top seed Lakshya Sen easily won his second-round men’s singles match against Daniil Dubovenko of Israel 21-14, 21-13 in just 35 minutes to also book a quarterfinal berth.

Sen meets compatriot Meiraba Luwang in the quarterfinals. Meiraba was a 21-15, 21-13 victor against sixth seed Nhat Nguyen of Ireland.

In other men’s singles matches, Ayush Shetty beat Hoh Justin of Malaysia 21-12, 21-19 to enter the quarterfinals while third seed Kiran George suffered a 21-19, 20-22, 11-21 defeat to Shogo Ogawa of Japan.

Second seed Priyanshu Rajawat of India also made it to the men’s singles quarterfinals after beating Le Duc Phat of Vietnam 21-15, 21-8.

In the women’s singles, India’s 17-year-old Unnati Hooda, unseeded in the tournament, stunned fourth seed Pornpicha Choeikeewong of Thailand 21-18, 22-20 in 46 minutes to enter the last-eight stage.

However, second-seeded Indian Malvika Bansod lost to 17-year-old compatriot Shriyanshi Valishetty 12-21, 15-21. Former junior world No. 1 Tasnim Mir also progressed to the quarterfinals after beating Anupama Upadhyaya 21-15, 13-21, 21-7.