Odisha Masters: Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto move to final

Women's doubles pair Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto made it to the final of the Odisha Masters 2023 as Indian shuttlers continued their fine run in the tournament on Saturday.

The day started with the Indian mixed doubles duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto securing a victory against the Danish pair of Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch.

The Indian pair won both games with identical scores of 21-14, advancing to the finals of the mixed doubles event. They are now set to face Indonesia's Hee Yong Kai Terry and Tan Wei Han Jessica in the final.

On the adjacent court, in an all-Indian Men's singles semi-final, Satish Kumar Karunakaran emerged victorious against Kiran George. Karunakaran comfortably won both games with a scoreline of 21-18, 21-14. He is now poised to face another Indian, Ayush Shetty, in the final.

In the men's singles semi-finals, the atmosphere was tense as India's Ayush Shetty faced Indonesia's Alwi Farhan. The contest unfolded dramatically, concluding with a close scoreline of 21-19, 14-21, 20-22. The intensity peaked at the end, with Shetty exulting in triumph while Farhan lay dejected on the floor, grappling with the loss of a match he had initially led.

In the semi-finals of the men's doubles, the Indian pair consisted of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Sai Pratheek faced off against the Indonesian team of Teges Satriaji Cahyo Hutomo and Christopher David Wijaya. The match unfolded as a closely contested battle, with both pairs challenging each other through swift returns.

Ultimately, the Indian duo emerged victorious in the semi-final encounter, securing a final scoreline of 21-17, 17-21, 21-18 in their favor. Sai and Garaga will face Chinese Taipei's Lin Bing-Wei and Su Ching Heng in the men's doubles finals.

In the women's singles semi-finals, Japan's Nozomi Okuhara exhibited dominance over Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda, securing a final scoreline of 21-16 and 21-5. While Hooda initially displayed promise and hinted at a potential comeback in the second game, as the match progressed, the Japanese player extended her lead significantly, ultimately securing her place in the finals of the women's singles.

Continuing with positive results, the Indian duo of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa secured a victory in the women's doubles semi-finals against the Indonesian pair of Arlya Nabila Thesa Munggaran and Agnia Sri Rahayu.

The Indian pair dominated the match, winning in straight sets with a final scoreline of 21-17, 21-13. They now advance to the final and are set to face another Indonesian pair Meilysa Trias Puspitasari and Rachel Allessya Rose.