Sindhu and four other Indian women march on

Former world champion P.V. Sindhu led the march of five Indian women’s singles into the semi-finals of the Australian Open badminton championships with their upcoming teenage star Tanvi Sharma pulling off an upset victory.

Thanvi upstaged fifth seeded Chiu Pin-Chian of Chinese Taipei 21-12, 22-20 in 45-minutes to book her place in the second round. It was the first meeting between the pair, but it was Tanvi ranked 25 rungs below her 11^th ranked opponent who produced the goods when it mattered.

With the 17-year-old drawn to meet compatriot Malvika Bansod in the second round, India is assured of a place in the quarter-finals.

India is also assured of a second quarter-final berth with Sindhu drawn to meet Isharani Baruah in the second round. Sindhu cruised to a comfortable 21-13, 21-11 win over Peruvian Ines Lucia Castillo in her opening match.

Isharani had a much tougher time, forced to go the distance before defeating China’s Han Qianxi 22-20, 10-21, 21-14.

Tanya Hemanth is the fifth Indian women’s player to advance after she picked up a 21-17, 21-18 win over American Ishika Jaiswal. She will play second seeded Pornpawee Chochuwong next.

Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min picked up an upset 21-15, 18-21, 21-15 win over seventh seeded Thai Supanida Katethong.

Top seeded Akane Yamaguchi breezed into the second round with a clinical 21-10, 21-15 win over Taiwanese Huang Ching Ping.

Fifth seeded Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei was given the boot in the men’s singles competition by compatriot Wang Tzu Wei. Tzu Wei carved out a 21-19, 17-21, 22-20 win over his much younger countryman.

Second seeded Lin Chin-yi survived a scare as he struggled past unheralded Thaurn Mannepalli of India 18-21, 21-13, 25-23.

Two players still working to rebuild their careers after injuries – Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia – were also send packing out of the tournament.

Zii Jia, who is making his first appearance since his stellar performance at the Thomas Cup Finals, was beaten 13-21, 22-24 by Taiwanese Lee Chia Hao.

As for Anthony, she was beaten 15-21, 15-21 by China’s Dong Tianyao.

There was a seeded casualty in the men’s doubles with sixth seeded Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin beaten 19-21, 17-21 by Taiwanese teammates Chen Cheng Kuan-Liu Kuang Heng.

Another seeded Taiwanese pair – Chang Ching Hui-Yang Ching Tun – were beaten 14-21, 21-16, 21-17 in the women’s doubles first round by China’s Luo Yi-Wang Tingge.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

Men’s singles: Justin Hoh (Mas) bt Kiran George (Ind) 21-19, 14-21, 21-15; Lin Chun-yi (Tpe) bt Tharun Mannepalli (Ind) 18-21, 21-13, 25-23; Alwi Farhan (Ina) bt Liao Jhuo-Fu (Tpe) 21-13, 21-12; Nhat Nguyen (Ire) bt Jason The Jia Heng (Sgp) 21-18, 21-11l Wang Tzu Wei (Tpe) bt Chi Yu Jen (Tpe) 21-19, 17-21, 22-20; Hu Zhean (Chn) bt Saneeth Dayanand (Ind) 21-8, 21-10; Minoru Koga (Jpn) bt Su Li Yang (Tpe) 21-13, 15-21, 21-16; Jason Gunawan (Hkg) bt Nguyen Hai Dang (Vie) 21-18, 21-13; Lee Chai Hao (Tpe) bt Lee Zii Jia (Mas) 21-13, 24-22; Dong Tian Yao (Chn) bt Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Ina) 21-15, 21-15; Yushi Tanaka (Jpn) bt Zhu Xuan Chen (Chn) 21-15, 14-21, 21-16; Angus Ng Ka Long (Hkg) bt Julien Carraggi (Bel) 17-21, 21-7, 21-15; Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) bt Eogene Ewe (Mas) 18-21, 21-10, 21-15; Jeon Hyeok Jin (Kor) bt Wang Yu-Kai (Tpe) 22-20, 21-16; Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah (Ina) bt Kanthaphon Wangcharoen (Tha) 21-14, 21-11

Men’s doubles: Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Terraratsakul (Tha) bt Roshan Rajkumar-Steven Stallwood (Aus-Eng) 21-13, 21-11; Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Forrest Huang-Minh Trung Faris Truong (Aus) 21-10, 21-9; Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin (Ina) bt Andika Ramadiansyah-Frederick Zhao (Aus) 21-18, 21-7; Na Sung-seung-Wang Chan (Kor) bt Jordan Wang-Chauncey Yu (Aus) 21-12, 21-8

Women’s singles: Sung Shuo Yun (Tpe) bt Yecheniia Kantemyr (Ukr) 21-13, 20-22, 21-6; P.V. Sindhu (Ind) bt Ines Lucia Castilo (Per) 21-13, 21-11; Lin Hsiang Ti (Tpe) bt Shaunna Li (Nzl) 21-11, 21-12; Tanvi Sharma (Ind) bt Chiu Pin-Chian (Tpe) 21-12, 22-20; Tung Ciou-Tong (Tpe) Liang Kawing (Chn) 21-17, 21-18; Malvika Bansod (Ind) bt Tonrug Saeheng (Tha) 15-21, 21-7, 21-13; Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) bt Vivien Sandorhazi (Hun) 21-8, 21-8; Isharani Naruah (Ind) bt Han Qainxi (Chn) 22-20, 10-21, 21-14; Chen Su Yu (Tpe) bt Polina Buhrova (Ukr) 23-21, 21-16; Pai Yu Po (Tpe) bt Happy Lo Sin Yan (Hkg) 21-14, 15-21, 21-13; Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Huang Ching Ping (Tpe) 21-10, 21-15; Yeo Jia Min (Sgp) bt Supanida Katethong (Tha) 21-15, 18-21, 21-15; Pornpawee Chochuwong (Tha) bt Ella Lin (USA) 21-11, 21-16; Tanya Hemanth (Ind) bt Ishika Jaiswal (USA) 21-17, 21-18; Huang Yu-Hsun (Tpe) bt Disha Gupta (USA) 21-17, 21-16; Wong Ling Ching (Mas) bt Aakarshi Kashyap (Ind) 21-19, 19-21, 22-20

Women’s doubles: Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva (Bul) bt Priska Kustiadi-Maureen Clarissa Wijaya (Aus) 21-6, 21-7; Laudya Chelsea Griselda-Nozomi Shimizu (Aus) bt Jesslyn Carrisia-Faye Huo (Aus) 21-12, 21-12; Jung Kyung-eun-Kim So-young (Kor) bt Hathaithip Mijad-Napapakorn Tungkasatan (Tha) 21-8, 21-18; Jazmine Lam-Lim Yee-Yuan (Aus) bt Mushini Sai Tanvi-Ava Wong (Aus) 21-9, 21-13

Mixed doubles: Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Kim Joon-young-Lee Yu-lin (Kor) 21-19, 21-12; Akira Koga-Natsu Saito (Jpn) bt Wu Guan Xun-Lee Chia Hsin (Tpe) 21-12, 21-14; Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) bt Michael Owen-Gronya Somerville (Aus) 21-17, 21-14; Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat (Tha) bt Elbert Timotius-Sylvina Kurniawan (Aus) 21-11, 21-17; Dhruv Rawat-Maneesha K (Ind) bt Jayden Lim-Victoria Tjonadi (Aus) 21-13, 21-14; Edward Lau-Shaunna Li (Aus) bt Chen Bo-Yuan-Chen Yan Fei (Tpe) walkover; Loo Bing Kun-Noraqilah Matsarah (Mas) 21-1, 21-3; Chan Yin Chak-Ng Tsz Yau (Hkg)  Kim Jae-hyeong-Jang Ha-jeong (Kor) 21-18, 21-16; Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin (Mas) bt Andika Ramadiansyah-Nozomi Shimizu (Aus) 21-15, 21-16; Yang Po-Hsuan-Hu Ling Fang (Tpe) bt Frederick Zhao-Jazmine Lam (Aus) 21-10, 21-7; Liu Kuang Heng-Hsu Yin-Hui (Tpe) bt Landon Hosea Kurniawan-Jasmine Yeung (Aus-USA) 21-9, 21-10; Wu Hsuan-yi-Yang Chu Yun (Tpe) bt Rizky Hidayat-Laudya Chelsea Griselda (Aus) 21-14, 21-14; Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (ina) bt Rinov Rivaldy-Jane Gao (Ina-Aus) 21-7, 21-9; Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui (Chn) bt Mohit Jaglan-Lakshita Jaglan (Ind) 21-6, 21-5;  Presley Smith-Jennie Gai (USA) bt Rio Agustino-Priska Kustiadi (Aus) 21-9, 21-10; Tonkid Saeheng-Tonrug Saeheng (Tha) bt Truong Faris Triuong-Jesamine Donald (Aus) 21-8, 21-11