WUG: Indian shuttlers overcome USA to advance to quarters, Vaishnavi in tennis pre-quarters

New Delhi, Jul 19 (PTI) The young Indian shuttlers overcame a gritty challenge from the United States to advance to the mixed team quarterfinals, while talented tennis player Vaishnavi Adkar secured a place in the pre-quarterfinals at the World University Games in Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region on Saturday.

Taekwondo exponents Anika fought hard before losing her 46kg quarterfinal bout to a South Korean, while fencer Abhinansh Meitei lost in the pre-quarterfinal after commendable wins against Qatari and Israeli opponents on day three of competitions.

However, it was the Indian mixed team shuttlers who held centre-stage defeating USA 3-1 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Malaysia later in the day, and be one step away from ensuring a medal for the country.

The mixed doubles pair of Sathish Karunakaran and Vaishnavi Khadekar gave India a 1-0 lead when they beat Arthur Lee and Katelin Ngo 13-15, 15-3, 15-12.

Saneeth Dayanand, ranked 100th in the world, then overcame Ryan Ma 15-8, 10-15, 15-7 to give India a 2-0 lead. Upcoming women's singles player Devika Sihag put up a fight before losing to Ella Lin 11-15, 20-21 as India led 2-1.

However, the men's doubles pair of Saneeth Dayanand and Sathish Karunakaran closed out the tie with a dominating 15-9, 15-9 win over Andre Chim and Samuel Wales Li.

In tennis, 20-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar had little trouble overcoming Finland's Venla Elisa Ahti 6-2, 6-4 to enter the pre-quarterfinals on the strength of her superior second serve.

Taekwondo exponent Anika defeated Germany's Ingrid-gabriela Busuioc and Helin Rüya Kodaman in the round of 32 and pre-quarterfinals respectively before she finally met her match in South Korea's Kim Yunseo in the 46kg quarterfinal.

Armaan Yadav in 52kg category lost his round-of-32 bout to Kazakhstan's Aziret Duisenbek 0-2, while Payal too couldn't advance in 57kg category, losing to a Portuguese opponent.

Fencer Abhinash Meitei got past Qatar's Abdalla Khalifa 15-5 in men's individual foil after dominating all three periods in round of 64. He then overcame Adam Eliaz of Israel 15-9 in the round of 32, before being outsmarted by Poland's Jan Hieromin Nowak 15-8 in the pre-quarters.

Abhinash was in the contest till the second period, which he won 4-6, but Nowak was too good for him in the third period winning 3-0.

Indian women cagers lost to Argentina 57-86 and will take on Finland in the last Group A match on Sunday with no chances of making it to the knockouts.

Indian women's table tennis team lost their the quarterfinals to Chinese Taipei 0-3 thus ending their run in the competition.

Pritha Vartikar lost to Cheng Pusyuan 9-11, 5-11, 13-11, 4-11, while Sayali Wani was overpowered by Chien Tung-chuan 11-4, 3-11, 11-9, 6-11, 5-11 in a a match of swinging fortunes. Suhana Saini was then beaten by Huang Yu-jie 6-11, 8-11, 8-11.

In individual competition, Suhana got the better of Azerbaijan's Nigar Mahmudova 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 in Group 4, Taneesha Kotecha defeated Mariam El Habech of Lebanon 11-4, 11-8, 11-9 in Group 2 and Pritha Vartikar defeated USA's Emily Tan 7-11, 2-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 in Group 16.

India finished last in the 4×100 medley clocking 4:12.70 seconds. PTI AM.

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