Unnati Hooda
India bounced back from their opening defeat to hosts Denmark to down Ukraine 4-1 in their Group A Uber Cup badminton championships in Horsens.
Hosts Denmark, who had beaten the Indians 3-2 in their opening match, were given a 0-5 thrashing by favourites China.
India chose to rest veteran P.V Sindhu in the singles, but still packed enough firepower to down Ukraine.
Unnati Hooda was upgraded to first singles and despite some late challenges, defeated Polina Buhrova 21-19, 22-20 to give India the lead.
Tanvi Sharma had a much easier time in her defeat of Yevheniia Kantemyr in the second singles. She won 21-12, 17-21 to put the Indians in the pedestal.
Making her first appearance, Devika Sihag overcam a first game jitters to down Mariia Stoliarenko 23-21, 21-13 and give India the unassailable lead.
India, however dropped the first doubles, with Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singh losing their match 11-21, 17-21 to Polina Buhrova-Yevheniia Kantemyr.
Sindhu, who played both singles and doubles against Denmark, was fielded in only the doubles this time partnering Tanisha Crasto. The duo easedpast Sofiia Lavrova-Mariia Stoliarenko 21-18, 21-15 in the second doubles and a morale boosting win.
RESULTS
THOMAS CUP
Group B
Japan beat Finland 5-0 (Kodai Naraoka bt Joakim Oldorff 15-21, 21-17, 21-16; Koki Watanabe bt Eliel Melleri 21-12, 21-10; Yudai Okimoto bt Ananda Galvani Daniswara 21-12, 21-17; Takuro Hoki-Hiroki Midorikawa bt Eliel Melleri-Niilo Nyqvist 21-2, 21-10; Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami bt Ananda Galvani Danisara-Avlar Melleri 21-17, 21-13)
UBER CUP
Group A
China beat Denmark 5-0 (Wang Zhiyi bt Line Christophersen 21-11, 21-14; Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning bt Amalie Cecilie Kudsk-Matte Werge 21-10, 21-16; Han Yue bt Mia Blichfeldt 21-11, 21-13; Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian bt Anna Klausholm-Simona Pilgaard 21-6, 21-13; Xu Wenjing bt Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-16, 21-16)
India beat Ukraine 4-1 (Unnati Hooda bt Polina Buhrova 21-19, 22-20; Tanvi Sharma bt Yevheniia Kantemyr 21-12, 17-21, 21-10; Devika Sihag bt Mariia Stoliarenko 23-21, 21-13; Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singh lost to Polina Buhrova-Yevheniia Kantemyr 11-21, 17-21; Tanisha Crasto-P.V. Sindhu bt Sofiia Lavrova-Mariia Stoliarenko 21-18, 21-15)
