India’s Malvika Bansod pulled off a sensational straight-game victory over Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia within the girls’s singles opening spherical of the China Open Tremendous 100 badminton match right here on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Indian, ranked forty third on this planet, displayed immense grit as she saved three sport factors within the opening sport to defeat the world No. 7 Indonesian 26-24, 21-19 in a 46-minute match, marking the largest win of her profession.
Malvika will subsequent tackle Scotland’s Kristy Gilmour, a two-time Commonwealth Video games medallist.
She was the only Indian shiny spot within the girls’s singles as compatriots Aakarshi Kashyap and Samiya Imad Farooqui exited within the first spherical. Aakarshi misplaced to Chinese language Taipei’s Chiu Pin-Chian 15-21, 19-21, whereas Samiya was outplayed by Gilmour 9-21 7-21 in a one-sided contest.
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In different Indian outcomes, the ladies’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand went down 21-16 15-21 17-21 to Chinese language Taipei’s Hsieh Pei Shan and Hung En-Tzu.
The blended doubles duo of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy misplaced 10-21 16-21 to Malaysia’s Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing.
A left-handed shuttler, Malvika, from Nagpur, transitioned to the senior worldwide circuit in 2019, successful the Maldives Worldwide title and ending runner-up on the 2022 Syed Modi Worldwide. She has been in good kind this yr, claiming the Azerbaijan Worldwide title.
Malvika, as soon as coached by former India junior chief coach Sanjay Mishra, made headlines in 2022 when she defeated 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal on the India Open, breaking into the world’s high 30.
Nonetheless, her progress was hampered by well being points as she contracted dengue and typhoid following her participation within the Hangzhou Asian Video games final yr.
After her restoration, Malvika persistently confronted top-ranked gamers in early rounds of world tour occasions. Regardless of early exits, she managed to take care of her place on this planet’s high 50. She has performed shut matches towards the likes of world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi and former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.
Presently coaching below coach Shrikant Vad on the Thane Badminton Academy, Malvika continues to push her sport ahead.
“That is her largest win, and he or she is extraordinarily comfortable. She has been performing nicely, however lacks expertise, and generally luck hasn’t favoured her,” her mom Trupti informed PTI.
“Sanjay sir was like a father determine to her, however as soon as he took up his position as BAI secretary, we struggled to discover a substitute.”