MALVIKA Bansod blew a game lead to bow out while the pair of Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi kept city flag flying high on Day Two of Yonex-Sunrise 84th Senior National Badminton Championships in progress at Shiv Chhatrapati Krida Sankul in Pune on Saturday. Malvika took the first game 21-14 against Haryana’s Ira Sharma in 17 minutes. In the next 16 mins, Ira raised her game a few notches and reeled in eight straight points in row to take a decisive 18-7 lead in the second game. Though Malvika took three points, those were never going to make any difference as Malvika lost it 10-21. In the decider, after 3-3 and 4-4, Malvika was always 4-5 points behind. At the change over, Malvika was trailing 6-11 and Ira, the former Under-19 national champion, took last five successive points to close it at 21-11.

 

The match lasted 52 minutes. City duo of Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi moved into the Round of 16 with a convincing straight games win over Pinky Karki and Yania Taring in the women’s doubles. Ritika-Simran won 21-11, 21-17 in the 35-minute contest. Rasika Raje lost to eleventh seed Meghana Reddy after playing three tough games. Meghana took the first game 21-11 but the city lass made it 1-1 taking the second game 21-14. Rasika lost her way in the decider going down 12-21. Another city player Nikkita Joseph, who partnered Aurangabad’s Sonali Mirkhelkar, lost her first round doubles match to Rashmitha Donepudi and Surya Charishma 12-21, 12-21.