P.C. Thulasi defeated Chinese Taipei’s Wang Yi Tang 18-21, 21-14, 22-20 in 71 minutes to enter the final of the women’s singles at the Tata Open badminton India International Challenge Series. The event is being conducted at the CCI courts.
The fifth seeded Indian, ranked 107 currently in BWF list, was playing her 246th ranked rival for the first time. Wang had taken Tanvi Lad, Dhanya Nair and Mudra Dhainje in her stride but went down fighting against Thulasi.
Indonesia’s Febby Angguni, ranked 198, is the other finalist after wrapping up her semifinal tie against Korea’s Hyo Min Kim in 21-10, 21-18 in 43 minutes.
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Thulasi trailed 1-8 in the opening game, then caught up helped by errors from Wang, yet ended up at the receiving end.
The second game saw both girls engaged in a fierce contest for dominance, the former did not look back from there.
The men’s singles will produce an Indian champion, seventh seed K. Srikanth faces off with fourth seed Sai Prnaeeth, qualifier Aditya Prakash takes on second seed R. Guru Sai Dutt in the last four stage.
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The results: Semifinals: Women: P. Thulasi bt Wang Yi Tang (Tpe) 18-21, 21-14, 22-20; Febby Angguni (Ina) vs Hyo Min Kim (Kor) 21-10, 21-18.
Doubles: So Hee Lee & Seung Chan Shin (Kor) bt Amelia Alicia Anscelly & Fie Cho Soong (Mal) 21-12, 21-13; Aparna Balan & Sikki Reddy bt Shella Den Aulia & Anggia Awanda (Ina) 21-15, 13-21, 21-19.
Quarterfinals: Men: K. Srikanth bt Sheng-Jie Yang (Tpe) 21-19, 22-20, 21-9; Sai Praneeth bt Teck Zhi Soo (Mal) 21-11, 21-9; Aditya Prakash bt Zi Liang Derek Wong (Sin) 21-10, 21-11; R. Guru Sai Dutt bt Young Woong Ha (Kor) 21-7, 21-10.
Doubles: semifinals: Sung Myun Ko & Young Dae Lee (Kor) bt Wahyu Nayaka Arya & Pankaryanira (Ina) 21-8, 21-12.
Mixed doubles semifinals: Irfan Fadhilah & Weni Anggraini(Ina ) bt Ji Woon Kang & Seung Chan Shin (Kor) 16-21, 21-16, 21-13; Alfian Eko Prasetya & Gloria Emmanuelle Widjaja (Ina) & Arun Vishnu & Aparna Balan 18-21, 21-17, 22-20. — Special Correspondent