Hangzhou(China): Indian women's badminton team thrashed Mongolia 3-0 to sail into the quarterfinals of the team events of the Asian Games here on Thursday. The Indian side dominated the proceedings and won the fixture without breaking a sweat while facing an inferior side in a lop-sided contest.
Leading the team from the front, two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu played the opening match and ensured a straight-game win over Myagmartseren Ganbaatar in 20 minutes with a scoreline of 21-3, 21-3. Sindhu didn't need to toil hard to win points and her opponents also helped her cause by hitting the shuttle wide and finding the net often. Also, she won points on every serve and there was no significant rally in the match between the two opponents. Sindhu is likely to face Pornpawee Chochuwong in the quarterfinal and she will have to improve her game as the latter is ranked higher in the world.
In the second singles, youngster Ashmita Chaliha continued running the dominant display by the Indian badminton side. She produced a clinical performance of 21-2, 21-3 win over Kherlen Darkhanbaatar wrapping the game in 21 minutes. Anupama Upadhyaya played the third single and conceded only two points throughout the whole rubber.
India won the contest as a result and the duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand got a rest day. India will now face a formidable Thailand in the quarterfinals. With world no. 12 Pornpawee Chochuwong, and world no. 17 Supanida Katethong in their ranks, it will be a tough task for India to tame the Thailand team. (with Agency inputs)
