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CHENGDU — India's young women's badminton team illuminated the courts here as it triumphed over Canada with a resounding 4-1 victory in the opening Group A tie of the Uber Cup on Saturday.
Led by the dynamic duo of Assam's Ashmita Chaliha and Isharani Baruha, along with Manipur's Priya Konjengbam, the Indian squad showcased its mettle despite the lack of international experience. The 17-year-old Anmol Kharb and Shruti Mishra (23) also showed their class on Saturday.
Ashmita, at 24, led the charge as the most experienced singles player, facing off against the seasoned Canadian star Michelle Li. She trailed 1-6, but the left-handed player soon closed the gap to 5-7, with a forehand winner and net kill. Ashmita soon ramped up the pace and claimed a 9-8 lead after playing a beautiful reverse slice drop and crosscourt smash. Yet, Li managed to nose ahead 11-10 at the mid-game break.
However, in a topsy-turvy battle, Ashmita fought back from a slow start to clinch a nail-biting victory 26-24, 24-22, displaying her prowess with every smash and drop shot.
Meanwhile, Priya and Shruti Mishra teamed up to dominate the women's doubles, leaving their Canadian opponents Choi-Chow struggling to keep up. With precision and finesse, they secured crucial points, beating Canadians with the score of 21-11, 21-10, propelling India to a 2-0 lead in the tie.
Priya and Shruti - India's national champions - went up 11-3 in the opening game. Since Choi had to play the match without her regular doubles partner Josephine Wu, Priya and Shruti exploited the conditions. Priya-Shruti quickly broke away to a 19-7 lead.
The spotlight then shifted to 20-year-old Isharani Baruha, who made her mark on the big stage with a commanding performance in the second singles match. With confidence and determination, she outplayed her opponent, Wen Yu Zhang, sealing victory for India with the scoreline of 21-13, 21-13 and cementing their lead at 3-0.
She put up a dominating display despite making her first appearance on the big stage. The 20-year-old won the opening game (21-13) comfortably against Wen Yu Zhang. Although Canada managed to salvage a point with Jackie Dent and Crystal Lai defeating Simran and Ritka 21-19, 21-15, the Indian contingent remained undeterred.
The 17-year-old Anmol Kharb rose to the occasion, showcasing her talent with a dominant straight-game victory in the final rubber, a 21-15, 21-11 win over world No.85 Eliana Zhang, securing India's triumph with a 4-1 win.