In one of the biggest upsets of her career Ashmita Chaliha beat former multiple world champion and Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya silver medallist Akane Yamaguchi in straight sets. The India shuttler dominated from the first point and controlled the pace of the match though the senior pro tried to unsettle her many a times. Chaliha kept her cool in deciding points both the tight games 21-19, 21-18.
On the other hand, double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu sailed into the women's singles quarterfinals with straight-game win over Japan's Riko Gunji in the $950,000 French Open badminton tournament on Thursday.
Unseeded Ashmita was the star of the day, upsetting World No. 2 and third seed Yamaguchi in a second-round match that lasted 37 minutes. Sindhu then prevailed over Gunji 21-12 21-16 in a match lasting 44 minutes to progress to the quarterfinals.
Chaliha was elated. "Honestly, it feels unreal," she said after the match. "I am still trying to sink it all in! Beating a player like Akane, who has achieved so much in this sport, is a really special feeling. Having come through a difficult phase this win means a lot to me. It gives me confidence and reminds me that all the hard work is paying off. I’m just really happy and proud of myself today."
Chaliha sai that playing her in the last event in Denmark helped assess her game. "Having played her in Denmark I knew what to expect and I tried to learn from that match rather than think too much about the result. I just wanted to enjoy and play my best game."
"And today I focused on being more patient, staying composed, and taking my chances whenever they came. Against a player like Akane, you cannot afford to switch off for even a moment, so I tried to stay focused throughout the match and trust my game. I’m really glad I could execute my plans today and turn things around."
Earlier in the day, India's Ayush Shetty and Tanvi Sharma bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals of their respective events. Taking the court first among the Indians, Tanvi was no match for world No. 1 and top seed An Se Young of South Korea, losing 11-21, 14-21 in a 37-minute women's singles match.
Later, Shetty forfeited his match against sixth seed Kodai Naraoka of Japan due to an undisclosed injury while trailing 17-21, 6-11 in a men's singles second-round match. Shetty had earlier defeated compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the opening round to progress in the tournament. (PTI inputs)