Malvika beats Kristy Gilmour to enter China Open quarterfinals

Changzhou (China), Sept 19: Young Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod continued her fine form as she cruised to her maiden Super 1000 quarterfinal after eking out a hard-fought victory against higher-ranked Kristy Gilmour in the China Open here on Thursday.

Malvika, ranked 43rd, toiled hard for one hour and five minutes before pulling off a 21-17 19-21 21-16 win over the the two-time Commonwealth Games medallist and world number 25 from Scotland in a women’s singles round-of-16 contest.

“This is the first time I will play a quarterfinal of a Super 1000 tournament so it is a dream come true and the biggest achievement of my life so far,” Malvika said after the match.

“I dreamt about this before the tournament that how would it be if I reached the quarters and now I’m top 8, so it’s a great feeling,” she added.

Talking about the match, the Indian, who now leads head-to-head against Gilmour 3-2, said “There is a lot of drift from this part so I found it difficult to control in the last parts of the last game and second game as well. But I’m glad god helped me.”

The win comes a day after the 22-year-old defeated Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.

The Nagpur shuttler feels she has been able to control the shuttle in the tricky conditions here.

“My retrieving is working well, I am able to control the shuttle better than the others. The conditions are a bit tricky for both players but I’m able to handle it better,” she said.

She added that she has focused on enhancing her strength, and it is yielding positive results.

“This circuit is very tough because if you are entering a Super 500 or 1000 you end up playing a top 10 in the first round as I’m not seeded yet. So, I need to be physically strong from the beginning itself. I have been working on that.”

However Malvika, who is the lone Indian shuttler remaining in the competition, has a tough challenge ahead of her as she will be up against fourth seed and two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the last eight stage.

Although the Japanese shuttler has won both the outings against Malvika, the Indian had come close to defeating Yamaguchi and hopes she can cross the line this time round.

“Hope for the best. I am in good form let’s see how it goes tomorrow. I will give my best,” she said. (PTI)

Hot this week

Pay hike of Assam ministers, MLAs likely as 3-member panel submits report

Full report likely by Oct 30 Guwahati Sept 25: There...

Meghalaya Biological Park Inaugurated After 25 Years: A New Chapter in Conservation and Education

Shillong, Nov 28: Though it took nearly 25 years...

ANSAM rejects Kuki’s separate administration demand, says bifurcation not acceptable

Guwahati, Sept 8: Rejecting the separate administration demand of...

Meghalaya man missing in Bangkok

Shillong, Jan 10: A 57-year-old Meghalaya resident, Mr. Treactchell...

Meghalaya’s historic fiber paves the way for eco-friendly products and sustainable livelihoods

By Roopak Goswami Shillong, Oct 25: From making earbuds to...

Victims of September 30th police firing remembered on 20th anniversary

Tura, Sept 30:  The nine civilians who died twenty...

9 workers killed as under construction building collapses in Chennai

Chennai, Sept 30: Nine migrant workers died after an...

New Chief Secy optimistic about Meghalaya’s future

Shillong, Sept 30: Newly appointed chief secretary of Meghalaya...

ED questions actor Urvashi Rautela in online betting case

New Delhi, Sept 30: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on...

Wangchuk being projected as anti-national as part of witch-hunt: Wife

New Delhi, Sept 30: Gitanjali Angmo, the wife of...

British-era land dispute at Saitsohpen resolved  

128-acre Govt land to be handed over to Elaka...

7.42 Cr voters in Bihar’s final poll roll

New Delhi/Patna, Sept 30: The total number of electors...

Scholarship application date extended till Oct 31

Shillong, Sep 30: The Chief Minister’s Scholarship Scheme (CMSS)...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories