India enjoyed a mixed day at the Taipei Open Super 300 badminton tournament on Thursday, with four players advancing to the quarterfinals even as senior shuttler HS Prannoy bowed out in the Round of 16 after a straight-games defeat to Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan.
Prannoy struggled to find his rhythm throughout the contest and was unable to match Gunawan’s dominance. The opening game remained level until 6-6 before the Hong Kong player reeled off a string of points to take it comfortably 21-9. The Indian fought back strongly in the second game and stayed neck-and-neck until 19-19, but Gunawan claimed the final two points to seal a 21-19 victory and complete the match in 39 minutes.
Promising youngster Anmol Kharb also exited the tournament after losing 10-21, 20-21 to local second seed Lin Hsiang Ti, bringing an end to India’s challenge in that section.
There was better news elsewhere for the Indian contingent as Kiran George, Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag all booked places in the last eight with convincing performances.
Kiran outclassed fellow Indian Tharun Mannepalli 21-15, 21-16 in just 32 minutes to progress to the quarterfinals. The 25-year-old, who has previously won the 2022 Odisha Open, the 2023 Indonesia Masters and the 2023 Odisha Masters, will next face Japan’s fourth seed Yudai Okimoto.
In women’s singles, third seed Unnati Hooda overcame compatriot Tanya Hemanth 21-19, 21-12 in an all-Indian encounter to continue her impressive run. Teenager Tanvi Sharma also advanced after edging past Indonesia’s Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan 21-17, 22-20 in a closely contested match.
Eighth seed Devika Sihag completed India’s successful day in the women’s draw by defeating Indonesia’s Ni Kadek Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi 21-16, 21-15 to secure her place in the quarterfinals.
The upcoming rounds will guarantee India at least one semifinalist in women’s singles, with Unnati and Devika set to face each other in an all-Indian quarterfinal. Tanvi, meanwhile, faces a tougher challenge against Thailand’s fourth seed Supanida Katethong as she looks to continue her impressive campaign.
Despite Prannoy’s early exit, India’s strong representation in the quarterfinals keeps the country’s hopes alive heading into the business end of the tournament.
