Syed Modi International: It’s PV Sindhu vs Unnati Hooda in a clash of generations; Lakshya Sen cruises into semifinals | Badminton News
Unnati Hooda’s face lights up when asked about her semifinal opponent. When the 17-year-old was speaking to reporters after her quarterfinal win against USA’s Ishika Jaiswal, PV Sindhu was still on court but was leading a game and then some. It was no means a done deal yet for the Indian superstar against China’s Dai Wang but Unnati took a quick look at the scoreboard in the media area. “I guess it will be Sindhu di, and it will be my first ever meeting against her,” the 17-year-old from Rohtak beamed.
“I am really excited. I have been in the Uber Cup team with her. She has achieved so much in her career, she is an idol for every young Indian shuttler.”
For her part, Sindhu wasn’t aware that she was facing Unnati, but spoke about finding her rhythm against Wang, after a struggle against Ira Sharma on Thursday. Sindhu at times struggled to put the racquet on shuttle and joked later that she tried changing racquets just in hope that it might help. “There was a rough patch against Ira. But I rectified my makes from yesterday, what went wrong I have not made those again today,” Sindhu said after a 21-15, 21-17 win in 48 minutes. “I was aggressive from the beginning. My game was better compared to yesterday. Looking to finish 2024 on a good note.”
Indeed, Sindhu looked much sharper and at ease with the court conditions, constantly getting a good angle on her steep downward strokes. When Wang threatened to make a comeback in the second game, Sindhu let out a trademark in-your-face roar as she nailed a body smash late in the second game before closing it out. It was fitting, because when asked what is the one thing that Unnati admired the most in Sindhu, the teenager said: “her aggression”. And she will get a first-hand taste of that in the semifinal on Saturday, in a clash between the present and the future.
Cracking doubles matches
As the quarterfinals day began, the buzz at the BBD UP Badminton Academy was around the all-Indian men’s singles clash between Lakshya Sen and another Prakash Padukone Academy product Maisnam Meiraba Luwang Maisnam but it turned into something of a damp squib with the top seed winning 21-8, 21-19 in 41 minutes. Whatever resance Meiraba could muster, came late in Game 2 as Lakshya let slip a 19-12 lead but recovered in time. A mouth-watering final between Lakshya and Priyanshu Rajawat is still on the cards, as the second seed played superbly for a 21-13 21-8 win over Hong Kong’s Nguyen Hai Dang.
The most excitement from an Indian perspective, however, came in the men’s doubles category, where the hosts could have easily had three out of four pairs in the semifinals. The headliner was Ishaan Bhatnagar and Sankar Prasad Udayakumar beating Junior World Champions Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai with the rarely seen golden point, prevailing 21-12, 30-29. After 20-20, every point was an event as it brought fans to their feet, with the Indians eventually clinching the decider at 29-29. And the reward for Ishaan is a reunion with his former doubles parther Sai Pratheek K as he and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy also reached the semifinal.
For Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi, it was a case of so near yet so far as they went down fighting in two incredibly hard-fought games 22-24 19-21 against China’s Sun Wen Jun and Zhu Yi Jun.
