Uber Cup: Indian women pummel Singapore 4-1, all but assured of quarterfinal berth

The young Indian women's badminton team, with an average age of 20 years and five months, on Sunday showed their fighting spirit and ability to not buckle under pressure as they recovered from an early hiccup to beat Singapore 4-1 in their second Group A tie at Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium in Chengdu, China.

With this win, India are all but assured of a place in the quarterfinals.

India's first choice women's doubles pairing of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra initiated the fightback after world no. 53 Ashmita Chaliha went down 15-21, 18-21 against world no. 18 Yeo Jia Min in the first singles clash.

Priya and Shruti started from where they finished on Saturday against Canada's Catherine Choi and Jeslyn Chow and beat Xiao En Heng and Jin Yu Jia in straight games (21-15, 21-16) to help India draw level in the tie.

Isharani Baruah, playing the second women's singles clash, would then comfortably defeat Insyirah Khan in what was another straight-game (21-13, 21-16) win for the shuttler. With Isharani winning, India took a 2-1 lead in the tie.

A player of small stature, the Assamese youngster displayed her fast game as she rattled Insyirah with her smashes and a swift transition from the back to the net.

Playing the second women's doubles clash of the tie, Simran Singhi and Ritika Thakker made amends to their campaign in the Uber Cup after they sustained a straight-game defeat against Canada. On Sunday, they ensured India's victory against Singapore.

Simran and Ritika defeated Yi Teng Elsa Lai Zan Michelle 21-8, 21-11 to confirm India's win as the women's team took a 3-1 lead in the five-match tie.

The duo proved their mettle under pressure as they fetched winners forcing Lai and Zan to engage in longer rallies. They would win the first game with a crosscourt half-smash and continue to trouble the Singaporean combo with their fighting spirit in the second game.

Simran and Ritika's win is a big positive for India from this tie, as the women's team is playing the Uber Cup without the country's top two combinations - Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.

In the fifth and dead rubber, Anmol Kharb would register her second consecutive straight-game win in the ongoing Uber Cup as the 17-year-old beat Xin Yi Megan Lee to complete a 4-1 rout of Singapore.

Anmol stomped around the court at ease and overwhelmed Lee with her angled returns, smashes and swift play at the net.

In their opening tie, India defeated Canada 4-1. On the other hand, Singapore were blanked 0-5 by hosts China in the other group tie on Saturday.

India will now gear up for their biggest test - the clash against mighty China, whose second-string side lost to India in the Badminton Asia Championships, on April 30.

Later today, hosts China will play Canada and a win for them would confirm India's place in the quarterfinals.