Rashi, Ritika enter semis of All India Junior Ranking Badminton

NAGPUR: Rashi Lambe and Ritika Thaker stormed into the semifinals in the Yonex Sunrise All India Junior (U-19) Ranking Badminton tournament at the Mohan’s Badminton Academy in Tirupur (Tamil Nadu) on Friday.
Fourth seeds Rashi and Akshan Shetty (Mumbai) thrashed Sanjay Jaimy and Tanisha Crasto 21-11, 21-15 in the U-19 mixed doubles quarterfinal. Rashi and Akshan will now take on unseeded Edwin Joy and Nafeesah Sara Siraj in the semifinal on Saturday.
However in another U-19 mixed doubles quarters, Ritika and Dingku Sing Konthoujam of Gopichand Academy were beaten by top seeds Sri Krishna Sai Kumar Podile and Srishti Jupudi 10-21, 18-21. The new pair of Ritika and Dingku had to qualify for the main draw through qualifications.
Ritika kept his challenge alive in the U-19 girls doubles. Top seeds Ritika and Simran Singhi (Mumbai) outclassed Kavya Gupta and Khushi Gupta 21-18, 21-14 in just 26 minutes.
They will now clash with fourth seeds V Nila and VS Varshini on Saturday for a spot in the final.
In the pre-quarters, top seeds Ritika and Simran rallied back strongly to oust Trisha Hegde and Drithi Yatheesh 15-21, 21-9, 21-15. City’s Rashi Lambe and Reza Farhath, seeded No. 7, lost to Kavya Gupta and Khushi Gupta 21-13, 12-21, 10-21.
It was a forgettable day for Malvika Bansod. The third seed bowed out in the U-19 girls singles quarterfinals. Seed No. 12 Dipti Kuity shocked Malvika 21-12, 21-14 in half an hour. Earlier in the day, southpaw Malvika had brushed aside the challenge of thirteenth seed Trisha Hegde of Karnataka 21-12, 21-14.
Nagpur Results
U-19 girls singles (PQF): 3-Malvika Bansod bt 13-Trisha Hegde 21-12, 21-14.
QF: 3-Malvika Bansod lost to 12-Dipti Kuity 12-21, 14-21.
U-19 girls doubles (PQF): 1-Ritika Thaker-Simran Singhi bt Trisha Hegde-Drithi Yatheesh 15-21, 21-9, 21-15; 7-Rashi Lambe-Reza Farhath lost to Kavya Gupta-Khushi Gupta 21-13, 12-21, 10-21.
QF: 1-Ritika Thaker-Simran Singhi bt Kavya Gupta-Khushi Gupta 21-18, 21-14.
U-19 mixed doubles: 4-Akshan Shetty-Rashi Lambe bt K Sathish Kumar-P Shwetaa 18-21, 21-19, 21-12; Dingku Sing Konthoujam-Ritika Thaker bt Bidyasagar Salam-Maheshwari Devi Kshetrimayum 18-21, 21-16, 21-14.
QF: 4-Akshan Shetty-Rashi Lambe bt Sanjay Jaimy-Tanisha Crasto 21-11, 21-15; Dingku Sing Konthoujam-Ritika Thaker lost to 1-Sri Krishna Sai Kumar Podile-Srishti Jupudi 10-21, 18-21.