Denmark Open: Treesa-Gayatri seal quarterfinal berth, Srikanth’s valiant effort goes in vain
New Delhi: The Indian women’s doubles duo of reached in the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament after a straight-game victory over the fifth-seeded Indonesian pair of Rachel Allessya and Rose Febi Setianingrum in Odense on Thursday, October 15.
Treesa and Gayatri, who clinched their maiden World Championships bronze in New Delhi in August, beat the Indonesian pair 21-16, 21-17 in 45 minutes. They will next take on the second-seeded Malaysians Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Ashmita Chaliha suffered a defeat to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 18-21, 10-21 in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals, while Tanvi Sharma will face Germany’s Yvonne Li later in the day.
Srikanth gives Lanier a tough fight
Earlier, Kidambi Srikanth showed flashes of his former brilliance but eventually suffered a defeat to the reigning world champion Alex Lanier in a three-game pre-quarterfinal match. The 33-year-old Indian shuttler used his trademark net play to win the first game before Lanier fought back to secure a 11-21, 21-15, 21-15 victory in an hour and six minutes.
Srikanth relied on his touch and precision to trouble the Frenchman, winning the opening game before the youngster’s superior speed and aggressive play shifted the momentum in his favour.
His net game was particularly effective in the initial stages. Srikanth’s deceptive spinning shots and precise angled returns repeatedly troubled Lanier, allowing the Indian shuttler to take a commanding 11-5 lead at the interval before wrapping up the first game.
The momentum shifted after the mid-game break, when Lanier’s coach, Kestutis Navickas, advised him to move away from the forecourt and construct rallies through attacks from the back of the court. The adjustment helped Lanier to bring his speed and attacking strengths into play.
Srikanth refused to surrender without a fight, and took a 5-2 lead at the start and before carrying a narrow 11-9 advantage at the interval, but Lanier stepped up the pace, relying on his speed and defence to take control of the match and complete the comeback.
(With inputs from PTI)