Mumbai: India had an impressive showing in the men’s and women’s quarterfinals of the JSW Indian Open on Friday, with several Indian players putting up dominant performances to book a place in the semifinals.
Men’s quarterfinals
India had an impressive showing in the men’s quarter-finals as number two seed Abhay Singh and fourth seed Veer Chotrani put in dominant performances to storm into the semi-finals.
In the final four stages, Singh will face Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran, while Chotrani will face another Malaysian challenger, Sanjay Jeeva.
Jeeva secured his place in the semi-finals with a comfortable 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8) victory over Egypt’s Ibrahim El Kabbani in the quarter-finals. Chandaran, meanwhile, progressed after defeating compatriot Duncan Lee in an all-Malaysian contest.
Singh was in excellent form as he brushed aside Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy 3-1 (11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7). The Indian got off to a confident start, seizing the initiative early and fending off Shohdy’s challenge to win the opening game 11-8.
However, Shohdy responded strongly in the second game and increased the intensity to win the game 11-7 and tie the game. The setback proved to be temporary for Singh, who quickly regained control with his aggressive play and sharp pitch coverage. He dominated the next two games, winning them 11-5 and 11-7 and securing a deserved place in the semi-finals.
Previously, Chotrani showed a composed performance and defeated Egypt’s Mohamed Sharaf 3-0 (11:9, 11:8, 11:2).
Despite the back-to-back wins, Sharaf put up a spirited fight, especially in the first two games where both players were able to match each other shot for shot. The Egyptian led for most of the first game before Chotrani fought back, leveling the score at 8-8 and eventually taking the lead to secure the game.
Chotrani continued this momentum in the second game as well, taking a narrow lead 4-3 and maintaining the lead to take a 2-0 lead. Sharaf seemed to lose steam in the third game as the Indian dominated the game, finishing the game confidently and securing a place in the last four.
Women’s quarterfinals
Top seed Anahat Singh and unseeded compatriot Tanvi Khanna ensured a strong Indian presence in the women’s singles semi-finals after winning their respective quarter-final matches.
However, local hero Joshna Chinappa bowed out of the competition after a 3-1 defeat to Egypt’s Nadien El Hammamy, which was the only setback for Indian fans on the day.
In another quarterfinal clash, second seed Hana Moataz fought hard to see off eighth seed Yasshmita Jadishkumar of Malaysia in a five-game thriller, winning 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8).
Saturday’s semi-final will feature an all-India showdown between Anahat and Tanvi, while Moataz will face El Hammamy for a place in the final.
Anahat underlined her status as one of the top contenders for the title with a confident 3-0 (11-2, 11-6, 11-4) victory over Malaysia’s Sehveetraa Kumar. The top seed ran through the opening game with ease and took the result 11-2 without breaking a sweat. Kumar offered a stronger challenge in the second game but Anahat’s mix of power and clever deception helped her stay in control and win the game 11-6.
The third game followed a similar pattern, with Anahat dictating the tempo and securing an emphatic 11-4 victory that secured a comfortable place in the last four.
Meanwhile, Tanvi produced one of the standout performances of the day by defeating fourth seed Ainaa Amani 3-1. The Indian started strongly, winning the opening game 11-6 before Amani leveled the game with an 11-7 victory in the second game. However, Tanvi held her nerve in the remaining games and won 11-5 and 11-8 to book her place in the semi-finals.
Previously, Joshna started confidently against El Hammamy, but gradually he found it difficult to counteract the Egyptian’s deceptive movements and sharp cross-cuts. After a hard-fought start and a strong comeback in the second game, Joshna lost momentum as El Hammamy increased her intensity to win the final two games and seal the match.
