Badminton sensation Malvika Bansod shocks Kristy Gilmour to enter semifinals of US Open
NEW DELHI: 22-year-old Malvika Bansod, a starlet from Nagpur, has achieved a remarkable feat by securing a spot in the women's singles semifinals of the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament
. In a thrilling three-game encounter, Bansod showcased her skills and determination, defeating Scotland's Kristy Gilmour, a 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, with a 10-21 21-15 21-10 scoreline.
The encounter unfolded with Gilmour taking the first game convincingly, winning 21-10. However, Bansod, ranked 49th in the world, displayed resilience and fought back, claiming the second game 21-15 to level the match.
In the decisive third game, Bansod's tenacity and strategic gameplay proved too much for her opponent, as she emerged victorious with a score of 21-10.
Bansod's triumph over Gilmour holds special significance as she had previously defeated the Scottish shuttler at the Hylo Open in 2022, where Gilmour had retired due to an injury. However, Gilmour had also prevailed over Bansod on two occasions in the past, making this victory even sweeter for the Indian prodigy.
Earlier this year, Bansod won the Azerbaijan International challenge, further solidifying her position as a rising star in the badminton world. Her next challenge will be against sixth-seeded Japanese player Natsuki Nidaira, a formidable opponent in her own right.
In the men's singles event, Priyanshu Rajawat, another promising Indian talent, put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short against fourth seed Lei Lan Xi of China. Despite winning the first game 21-15, Rajawat couldn't maintain his momentum, losing the next two games 11-21 and 18-21 in a closely contested quarterfinal match that lasted over an hour.
The Indian contingent's campaign in the US Open Super 300 also saw the second-seeded women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand bow out in the quarterfinals. They faced a tough challenge from the Japanese sixth seeds, Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato, and despite winning the second game 21-17 after losing the first 17-21, they ultimately fell short in the decider, losing 19-21.
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