Mannepalli enters semifinal of Macau Open

Macau, Aug 1 (PTI) India's Tharun Mannepalli advanced to the men's singles semifinals of the Macau Open Super 300 badminton tournament after a hard-fought win over China's Hu Zhe here on Friday.

The 23-year-old, ranked 47th in the world, showcased speed and a versatile shot selection to edge out Hu, ranked 87th, 21-12 13-21 21-18 in a 75-minute battle.

This marks Mannepalli's maiden semifinal appearance at a BWF Super 300 event. Earlier, he had reached the quarterfinals at the German Open in February.

Mannepalli, who joined the Pullela Gopichand Academy four years ago, has focused on improving his fitness, agility, and movement over the past two years. His hard work paid off this week as he also stunned top seed Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the last eight.

The Indian, who won gold at the 37th National Games, was trailing 4-7 in the first game before rallying to 12-9. He then took control and scored six straight points from 15-11 to seal the game.

After the change of ends, Hu played with greater intent, leading 6-2 and extending the lead to 15-6. Mannepalli couldn't close the gap as the Chinese player dominated the second game.

In the decider, Mannepalli surged to a 5-0 lead and maintained a healthy advantage up to 19-15. The finish got tense as he squandered three points, with Hu sending two returns on his forehand corner. However, Mannepalli stayed composed and landed a timely body smash to earn two match points. He then secured the win with a precise push to Hu's backhand corner, raising his arms in celebration.

Mannepalli started playing badminton at the age of eight in Khammam, Telangana, before moving to Hyderabad after Class X to pursue the sport seriously alongside his studies. PTI ATK SSC SSC