The young Indian women’s team settled for second place in Group A after going down 0-5 to the formidable China in their last group stage match of the Uber Cup at Chengdu in China on April 30. However, India had already made it to the quarterfinals after winning against Canada and Singapore. During the game, teenage badminton player Anmol Kharb had to leave the court owing to an ankle injury during the second singles match against Han Yue.
In the opening singles, Isharani Barua faced Olympic champion Chen Yufei. Although Isharani was ahead 6-4 early in the first game, Chen Yufei took control of the match and won 21-12, 21-10 against 83rd-ranked Isharani.
I made too many errors: Isharani Barua
"A little disappointed in my game because I made too many errors, I thought I would play good with her but it was an easy win for her...the pace was really high, I had to increase my speed," Isharani said in the post-match presentation.
"Her variations were good, and all her strokes were going in the third court and it wasn't comfortable to hit well. It was a tough game but it was a good experience," she added.
In another match, national champions Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra lost to the reigning world champions Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, who doubled China’s lead with a 21-13, 21-12 win.
In the next two matches, Simran Singhi, Ritika Thaker, and Tanvi Sharma fought hard but couldn't secure a win. In the doubles match, Liu Shen Shu and Tan Ning defeated Simran Singh and Ritika Thaker 21-9, 21-10, while Tanvi went down 7-21, 16-21 to Wang Zhi Yi as China completed the 5-0 drubbing of India. Tanvi made her debut for the India team in the competition.
Indian men's team set to face Indonesia
Having won two matches and secured a spot in the quarterfinals, the Indian men's team will play their final group match against Indonesia on May 1. After this match, the draw for the knockout stage will be made for both the Uber and Thomas Cup tournaments.
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