Syed Modi International 2023: Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto finish as runners-up after final loss

Published at :December 3, 2023 at 10:45 PM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 12:11 AM

(Courtesy : DD Sports)

This is Ashwini’s maiden final finish in BWF 300 tournament this year.

Indian women’s doubles pair Ashwini Ponappa and Tanisha Crasto went down to Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in three games (14-21, 21-17, 15-21) in the finals of the Syed Modi International 2023. The duel which lasted for over 75 minutes had several twists and turns but, in the end, the WR-15 Japanese duo triumphed to claim the BWF Super 300 title.

The opening game between Ashwini/Tanisha and Tin/Kie was evenly contested till the mid-game interval but from there was all one-way traffic. Tanish Crasto in specific made several elementary mistakes. Moreover, the Indian pair left few gaps wide open for the opposition to attack and the Japanese duo were smart enough to make use of the opportunity available.

Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa settle for a runner-up finish at the #SyedModiInternational2023 after losing the final!! 🏸🏆The Indian 🇮🇳 pair went down to 🇯🇵's Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi 14-21, 21-17, 15-21 in women's doubles!#SyedModiIndiaInternational2023 pic.twitter.com/LM2o8mhqz6
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) December 3, 2023

From 11-12, Ashwini/Tanisha could only muster three points and lost the opener 14-21. They came back strong and led for the entire duration of the second game. They were also helped by the few lapses in concentration from Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. The home support to an extent played a pivotal role for the Indians to pull things back on track.

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There were moments in which both Ashwini and Tanisha failed to capitalize. Before the half-way mark, Iwanaga lost balance and was down on the floor. At this moment, Tanisha just had to place the shuttle after a good transition in play but rather went for an in-body smash which favoured the opponents. Few moments like these went against India which they should have taken advantages of.

In the decider, Iwanaga and Nakanisha surged ahead to seven points lead (8-1) and at this point the match looked done and dusted. But the Indians did not go down without putting up a fight and won seven points out of next 11 available to make it 8-11.

From here on, the Japanese held onto the lead on a consistent basis while the Indians needed to do something extraordinary to triumph. Sadly, they couldn’t bounce back and ended a successful maiden campaign together on the HSBC BWF World Tour as runners-up.

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