Badminton
Malvika Bansod Reaches Hylo Open Semifinals, Ayush Shetty Progresses
India’s badminton sensation Malvika Bansod has reached the Hylo Open semifinals in Germany, overpowering Vietnam’s TL Nguyen in straight games, while Ayush Shetty also advances in the men’s singles.
India’s badminton star Malvika Bansod has entered the semifinals of the Hylo Open Super 300 tournament in Germany, following an impressive victory over Vietnam's top-seeded TL Nguyen on Friday.
The World No. 34 secured her place in the final four with a commanding 21-15, 21-17 win, maintaining control throughout the match. Malvika showcased her aggressive style, leaving her opponent with few chances to counter her powerful plays.
This marks Bansod's second semifinal appearance in a Super 300 event; her first was at the Syed Modi International, where she finished as runner-up to PV Sindhu.
Notably, she had previously lost to Nguyen in the opening round of the Denmark Open last month but demonstrated remarkable resilience to turn the tables this time.
Starting strong, Bansod took an 11-3 lead in the first game and held her advantage to close it at 21-15. In the second game, her steady pace and precise shots allowed her to seal the match. Bansod will next face Denmark's JD Jakobsen, who defeated India’s Santhosh Ramraj in a previous round.
In the men’s singles, Ayush Shetty progressed with a victory over K Koljonen, while Karunakaran gave a walkover to Christo Popov due to an undisclosed reason. Santhosh Ramraj, who previously upset Gilmour, fell to Jakobsen, bowing out with a score of 12-21, 17-21.