Badminton Asia Team Championships 2018: Indian women bow out in quarter-finals

World No. 4 PV Sindhu’s efforts were not enough as the Indian women’s team went down to Indonesia 1-3 in the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2018 held at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium in Alor Setar, Malaysia on Friday.

Sindhu had to play both singles and doubles but that could not save India from a defeat.

The Rio Olympic silver medallist was the only one who was able to bring a point to Team India. Sindhu needed 48 minutes to see off the 29th ranked Fitriani Fitriani. While that gave India a very bright start, hopes soon dimmed after three consecutive losses.

The country’s top-ranked women’s doubles team of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy was outclassed by the World No. 7 pair of Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu. The latter won the India Open title just last Sunday and brought that form into the match and ran away 21-5, 21-16 winners.

In the second women’s singles clash, World No. 38 Hanna Ramadini proved an obstacle too high for the 20-year-old Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli. The youngster, who squandered a match against Hong Kong’s Cheung Ying Mei on Tuesday, failed to provide any resistance and went down 8-21, 15-21.

Indonesia’s Anggia Shitta Awanda and Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istarani then completed the job for their country with a 21-9, 21-18 win over the pair of Sanyogita Ghorpade and PV Sindhu.

Tata Open champion Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, who delivered the 3-2 win for India against Hong Kong on Day 1, could not take the court because of a back pain. Rutaparna Panda was fielded against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the inconsequential fifth rubber, which was not played.

India can still qualify for Uber Cup

A place in the semi-finals would have guaranteed a direct spot for India at the prestigious Uber Cup to be held in Bangkok in May. But India can still qualify by virtue of their team rankings. The picture will be clearer once all the continental championships are completed this month.