Xiamen (China): Youngsters Anupama Upadhyaya and Satish Karunakaran gave a glimpse of India’s bench strength in the singles categories, leading from the front to help the team beat England 3-2 in their last Group D match in the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 here on Thursday.
Having lost their first round matches, India were out of contention for the knockout stage and decided to field the young players against England. Former women’s singles national champion Anupama rose to the occasion and gave the team a winning start by beating Miu Ngan 21-16, 21-12.
In the men’s singles, Sathish Kumar Karunakuran came back after losing the first game before defeating Harry Huang 18-21, 22-20, 21-13 in one hour and 13 minutes. The National Games gold medallist struggled to find his rhythm in the opening game and had to save a match point in the second before getting the better of World No. 95 Huang.
After conceding an early lead and losing the first game, Sathish Kumar came back strong in the hard-fought second game and after exchange of many tight rallies won four points in a row from 19-20, saving a game point to win the game 22-20. Things were a bit easier for the Indian in the decider as he took an early lead and capitalised on it, five points in a row early in the game.
The women’s doubles combination of Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra wrapped up the tie for India with a 21-17, 21-17 win over Lizzie Tolman and Estelle van Leeuwen. England then clinched the men’s doubles and mixed doubles rubbers to give respectability to the score line.
The men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi lost to the pair of Rory Easton and Alex Green 14-21, 21-11, 13-21 in 52 minutes as England made it 1-3.
In the mixed doubles match, the final outing in the tie, the Indian pair of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Tanisha Crasto went down to the English combination of Callum Hemming and Estelle Van Leeuwen in three games in just over an hour. The Indian pair won the first game but lost the next two for a 21-11, 13-21, 22-24 win, failing to capitalise on their chances in the decider.
This win ended India’s engagements in the four-team Group D, in which India finished third behind Indonesia and Denmark, who progressed to the knockout stage. India had earlier lost to both Denmark and Indonesia in the group-stage matches.
Denmark and Indonesia joined the likes of China, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Denmark, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia in the eight-team quarterfinal round.
Results:
India beat England 3-2 (Anupama Upadhyaya bt Miu Ngan 21-16, 21-12; Sathish Karunakaran bt Harry Huang 18-21, 22-20, 21-13; Tanisha Crasto/Shruti Mishra bt Lizzie Tolman/Estelle van Leeuwen 21-17, 21-17; Hariharan Amsakarunan/R Ruban Kumar lost to Rory Easton/Alex Green 14-21, 21-11, 13-21; Sathish Karunakaran/Adya Variyath lost to Callum Hemming/Estelle van Leeuwen 21-11, 13-21, 22-24.
(IANS)
