Aditi Mutatkar made a successful debut, while Chetan Anand also shone as a dominant India sailed into the quarterfinals of the mixed badminton team event with a third clean sweep in succession in the Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday.
World number 17 Chetan beat Lewis Martyn 21-12 21-16 in a 21-minute men’s singles match to set the ball rolling as India dumped Wales 5-0 in yet another scintillating performance at the Siri Fort sport complex here.
Pune girl Aditi, who made it to the squad at the eleventh hour, was then given an opportunity to play her first Commonwealth Games match and she reposed the faith by disposing off Turner Carissa 21-13 21-8 in 18 minutes to give India to a 2-0 lead.
Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar then took the court but the duo had to toil hard initially as Phillips James and Morgan Joe matched them shot for shot in the first game.
However, the Indians had the last laugh as they beat the Wales pair 21-17 21-14 in 24-minute match in the men’s doubles.
Ashwini Ponnappa and Aparna Balan then thrashed Turner Carissa and Harvey Caroline 21-11 21-13 in the women’s doubles, while mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V. Diju beat Lewis Martyn and Thomas Sarah 21-8 21-5 to wrap up a 5-0 win in India’s favour.
