Syed Modi International 2023: Ashwini-Tanisha enters final, Priyanshu knocked out in semis

Ashwini-Tanisha will break into the top 30 rankings next week

Indian women’s doubles pair, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, have advanced to the final of the Syed Modi International 2023 Super 300 tournament in Lucknow. Their progression was facilitated when their opponents, top-seeded Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, had to retire mid-match due to an injury.

Ponnappa and Crasto were trailing at 10-11 in the opening game when Hirota suffered a fall on the court, injuring her left knee. The severity of the injury necessitated immediate attention from a physiotherapist and Hirota had to be assisted off the court.

The Japanese pair, unable to continue due to Hirota’s injury, made the difficult decision to withdraw from the match. This unexpected turn of events led to an abrupt end to what was shaping up to be a fiercely competitive match. Ponnappa and Crasto are now set to face Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan in the final on Sunday.

In another intense showdown that lasted one hour and 14 minutes, 21-year-old shuttler from Madhya Pradesh, Priyanshu Rajawat, who had earlier triumphed at the Orleans Masters Super 300, faced a tough battle against Chi Yu Jen. Despite initially leading, Rajawat lost ground and eventually went down to the Chinese Taipei shuttler in the semifinals.

Jen seized the opportunity, overturning Rajawat’s one-game advantage to secure a victory in this high-stakes match.

The match began with little to differentiate between the two players, with Jen securing a narrow 11-10 lead at the interval. Post-interval, Jen extended his lead to 15-11, maintaining his momentum. However, World No. 31, Rajawat, capitalized on Jen’s errors, claiming the first game after a tightly contested 23-minute battle.

Despite the home crowd’s support, Rajawat faced challenges and made crucial errors that allowed Jen to mount a comeback and push the match to the decider. In the final game, a visibly fatigued Rajawat struggled under pressure as his performance was marred by mistakes.

Ultimately, Rajawat was unable to regain his footing and lost both the game and the overall match in 75 minutes, losing out by 21-18, 14-21, 17-21.

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