Seeded Dhanya shocked by Tanvi in pre-quarters

MUMBAI: Eighth seed Dhanya Nair was shocked by Tanvi Lad in straight games in the women's pre-quarter finals of the NSCI All India Senior Ranking Badminton tournament on Monday.
Air India's unseeded Tanvi knocked out the Railways shuttler 21-7 21-13 to enter the quarter finals along with top seed Neha Pandit and fourth seed Sayali Gokhale, who eased into the last eight with easy second round victories.
Neha and Sayali, both natives of the home state of Maharashtra but representing Airports Authority of India and Air India in the tournament respectively, got past Sanyogita Ghorpade (AI)) and Dara Elsa Jacob of Kerala to reach the quarters.
In the morning, Neha lost the first game but came back strongly to shut out Anuradha Shrikhande (MAH) 15-21 21-9 21-16 and then easily overcame Sanyogita 21-7 21-12.
Also through to the last-eight was National Games champion Arundhati Pantawane who got past Snehal Senthil (Kerala) in straight games in her first round and then overcame the stiff challenge of Saili Rane (AI) 21-17 20-22 21-12 to make the grade.
Another top woman shuttler and national champion Aditi Mutatkar of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, also a native of Maharashtra like Neha and Arundati, outclassed Garima Yadav of MP in straight games to launch her campaign on a sound note.
Both Aditi and Arundhati are turning out in the tournament after entering the quarterfinals of the Vietnam Open tournament in Ho Chi Minh City last week.
Meanwhile, the men's section was further depleted by the withdrawals of former national champion and the highest ranked Indian player in the world, Parupalli Kashyap, and Anup Sridhar. Both are reportedly sick.
Sridhar, according to joint tournament director Sunder Shetty, had informed the organisers that he was not well.
"In fact he's so unwell that he has withdrawn from the next tournament too to be held at Bangalore (his home city)," said Shetty.
The withdrawal of these two top men shuttlers, along with that of world no 29 Ajay Jayaram, has robbed the men's category a lot of its sheen.
Results: Women's Singles (Round of 32): Neha Pandit (AAI)[1] bt Anuradha Shrikhande (Mah) 15-21 21-9 21-16; Sanyogita Ghorpade (AI) bt C H Poornima (AP) 21-6 21-15; Dhanya Nair (RLY)[8] bt G M Nischitha (Kar) 24-22 21-16; Tanvi Lad (AI) bt Jacqueline Rose Kunnath (Kar) 21-13 19-21 21-13; Sayali Gokhale (AI)[4] bt Sarada Govardhini (AP) 21-11 21-6; Daya Elsa Jacob (KER) bt Gauri Ghate 21-18 17-21 21-13 (Mah) Aditi Mutatkar (PSPB) [6] (MP) Garima Yadav 21-10 21-10; Vijeta Bhargava (MP) bt Rucha Nikam (Mah) 21-11 19-21 21-8.
Trupti Murgunde (PSPB) bt Sara Naqvi (UP) 21-18 21-13; Sampada Sahasrabuddhe (AAI)[7] bt Riya Pillai (Mah) 21-16 21-10; Mudra Dhainje (AI) bt Vibhuti Agarwal (Mah) 21-8 21-11; P C Thulasi (Ker) bt Chitra Lekha (Rlys) 21-8 21-11; Gayatri Vartak (PSPB) bt J V Samhitha (AP) 21-15 21-19; Anita Ohlan (RLY)[5] bt Shradha Srivastava (Del) 21-9 21-11; Saili Rane (AI) bt Saloni Yadav (MP) 21-10 21-12; Arundhati Pantawane (Mah) [2] bt Sneha Santhilal (Ker) 21-14 21-12.
Round of 16: Neha bt Sanyogita 21-7 21-12; Tanvi bt Dhanya 21-7 21-13; Sayali bt Daya Elsa 21-14 21-12.