Will Unnati, Tasnim, and Rounak Shine in the Odisha Masters Semis?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Unnati Hooda and Tasnim Mir lead a strong Indian contingent in the semifinals.
- Upsets in the quarterfinals highlight the unpredictability of the tournament.
- Women's doubles also saw impressive performances from Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam.
- Mixed doubles matches showcased competitive spirit and skill.
- India is poised for potential medal wins across multiple categories.
Cuttack, Dec 12 (NationPress) Unnati Hooda, Tasnim Mir, Isharani Baruah, Kiran George, and Rounak Chouhan all showcased their remarkable talent at the Odisha Masters, securing their places in the semi-finals on Friday.
In the men’s singles, second seed Kiran George delivered a solid performance, defeating Rithvik Sanjeevi with scores of 21-11, 21-17 in just 33 minutes. He is set to compete against Rounak Chouhan, who achieved an impressive upset over seventh seed Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian, winning 21-19, 22-20 in a closely contested match lasting 41 minutes. Muhamad Yusuf from Indonesia triumphed over top seed Tharun Mannepalli with a score of 21-9, 22-20, taking 49 minutes.
The quarterfinals in the women’s singles also featured surprises, with Tanya Hemanth defeating third seed and World Junior Championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma 21-18, 21-17 in 39 minutes to reach the semifinals. She will face fellow Indian Isharani Baruah, who has demonstrated excellent form throughout the tournament. Baruah started her journey with a major upset against second seed Pornpicha Choeikeewong and, following a walkover in the next round, continued her strong performance by defeating sixth seed Anmol Kharb 21-16, 21-14 in 41 minutes.
Top seed Unnati Hooda maintained her dominance with a convincing 21-16, 21-15 victory over Anupama Upadhyaya, advancing to the semifinals. Tasnim Mir also shone in her match, easily overcoming seventh seed Tung Ciou-Tong from Chinese Taipei, ensuring an all-Indian lineup in the women’s singles semifinals, thus guaranteeing multiple medals for India.
In women’s doubles, the duo of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam delivered an impressive performance, defeating sixth seeds Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi 21-12, 21-14 to secure their place in the semifinals. However, in men’s doubles, the pairs Bhargav Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy/Sai Pratheek faced defeats against their opponents.
In mixed doubles, Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram and Reshika Uthayasooryan advanced with a solid 21-15, 21-19 victory over Indonesia’s Nawaf Khoiriyansyah and Nahya Muhyifa in 38 minutes. However, the fourth-seeded duo of Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh fell short against Thailand’s Tanadon Punpanich and Fungfa Korpthammakit, losing 21-7, 21-8.