Young Satwiksairaj Rankireddy is making rapid strides towards the top echelons of badminton. Still only 16, the rising star gave yet another example of his immense talent as the TATA Open India International Challenge 2016 came to an end at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai on Sunday. Rankireddy in tandem with Chirag Shetty clinched the men’s doubles title after coming through an all-Indian clash with Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 in 35 minutes.
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This is Rankireddy’s second International level title in as many weeks. Just last Sunday, he triumphed in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles categories at the India International Series.
Rankireddy and Shetty were the only Indian winners at this tournament that continued for five days.
Pardeshi’s superb run ends
Indian shuttlers reached the finals in two other categories but were denied wins. In women’s singles, the breakout star of the event, Pardeshi Shreyanshi saw her brilliant winning run getting snapped at the final hurdle.
The 18-year-old girl from Indore stands at only five foot and a half inch, but she stood tall for most of this tournament where she reached her maiden International level final. On her way, the qualifier had upset the fifth seed Hui Zhen Grace Chua in the semi-finals and the seventh seed Gabriela Meilani Moningka in the quarters.
The World No. 410 could not replicate those results against the fourth seed Soniia Cheah of Malaysia In the final even though she did put up a spirited resistance. The teenager eventually went down 3-11, 11-6, 6-11, 7-11 in 45 minutes.
India had representatives in the mixed doubles final as well. Vighnesh Devlekar and Kuhoo Garg too gave their all in a marathon encounter that lasted 55 minutes. However, the Indonesian combine of Fachriza Abimanyu and Bunga Fitriani Romadhini proved too strong at the very end as they eked out a narrow 11-5, 12-10, 4-11, 6-11, 11-8 win.
The Indians had earlier toppled the second seeds Rinov Rivaldy and Vania Arianti Sukoco in the quarter-finals.
The men’s singles title, meanwhile, went to Enzi Shafira of Indonesia, who sent the sixth seed Lim Chi Wing packing, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6. In women’s doubles, the third seeds Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso and Serena Kani reigned supreme over Maretha Dea Giovani and Tania Oktaviani Kusumah, 11-8, 8-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-7.
