UNFORCED errors during the match ended Nagpur’s Malvika Bansod’s dream run in the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022, which is part of HSBC BWF World Tour tournament series.

After bringing down London Games bronze medallist Saina Nehwal to storm into the quarter-finals, southpaw Malvika was pale shadow of herself as she failed to recreate the magic going down fighting to Aakarshi Kashyap in two straight games at KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi, on Friday.

The quarter-final between the two rising players of the country was supposed to be an edge of the seat encounter, but Malvika gifted some easy points to her rival thus losing the match 21-12, 21-15.

Malvika looked nervous from the start and Aakarshi made it sure she did not let her settle down.

Keeping a tight grip on the game Aakarshi took the advantage of the unforced errors from Malvika as she stretched the lead in the first game. She easily took it 21-12. In the second game, Malvika tried to rectify her mistakes but it was not her day as she continued to trail Aakarshi.

Though she bettered her performance from the first game it was too little to late as her opponent avenged the national championship title loss winning the second game 21-15.

Kashyap will now face second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan, who thrashed USA’s Lauren Lam 21-12, 21-8 in the other quarter-final.

The 20-year-old shuttler admitted making lots of errors during the match.

“I made lots of unforced errors and that’s where I lost. I also made mistakes in rally, so...when you make mistakes you can’t win points,” said Malvika after her loss.

Malvika said she would now be concentrating in the next tournament and will start preparing for in the right earnest.

“I am now looking to (participate in) Syed Modi International tournament,” she said.

Syed Modi International event is going to be held at Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow from January 18.

The tournament carries a prize money of USD 150,000.

Malvika had a dream start to her maiden India Open campaign where she got the better of Samiya Imad Farooqui 21-18, 21-9. In the next round, she performed a giant-killing act demolishing Olympian medallist Saina 21-17, 21-9.