Badminton: Malvika Bansod Finishes Runner-Up At Hylo Open

Rising Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod’s spectacular run on the Hylo Open Super 300 concluded with a runner-up end, as she fell to Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt 10-21, 15-21 within the ultimate on Sunday.

The 23-year-old southpaw, who claimed notable wins en path to her first Super 300 ultimate, together with a victory over fourth seed Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam, struggled to match Blichfeldt’s tempo, conceding the match in 43 minutes.

In the opening sport, Blichfeldt capitalised on Malvika’s errors, reeling off eight consecutive factors to ascertain a 17-10 lead, in the end closing out the sport with ease.

Malvika fought again within the second sport, even main 11-8. However, Blichfeldt’s highly effective cross-court smashes allowed her to equalise at 12-all, then seize 5 consecutive factors to safe the title.

This marks Malvika’s second look in a serious ultimate, having beforehand reached the title spherical of the Syed Modi India International in 2022, the place she was defeated by two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.

In September, Malvika made headlines by upsetting Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung within the opening spherical of the China Open Super 100 earlier than her quarterfinal exit. PTI TAP KHS