Sindhu, Ashmita enter French Open quarterfinals

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha entered the women’s singles quarterfinals of the French Open badminton tournament in Paris on Thursday with impressive straight-game victories. Ashmita produced the biggest upset of the day by defeating world No. 2 and third seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, while Sindhu overcame Japan’s Riko Gunji to advance.

Ashmita stuns world No. 2 Yamaguchi

Unseeded Ashmita Chaliha delivered a commanding performance against third seed Akane Yamaguchi, winning 21-19, 21-18 in a 37-minute second-round encounter. The Indian held her nerve in both games to secure a notable victory over the highly ranked Japanese shuttler.

The win strengthened India’s campaign at the tournament, which carries a prize purse of 950,000 US dollars.

Sindhu advances with straight-game win

Sindhu also secured her place in the quarterfinals with a 21-12, 21-16 victory over Japan’s Riko Gunji. The Indian controlled the 44-minute contest to progress to the last eight of the women’s singles competition.

Sindhu’s victory keeps her hopes alive as she continues her campaign at the prestigious international tournament.

Ayush Shetty, Tanvi Sharma exit

Earlier, India’s Ayush Shetty and Tanvi Sharma bowed out in their respective second-round matches.

Tanvi lost 11-21, 14-21 to world No. 1 and top seed An Se Young of South Korea in a 37-minute women’s singles contest.

In men’s singles, Ayush Shetty retired against Japan’s sixth seed Kodai Naraoka due to an undisclosed injury. Shetty was trailing 17-21, 6-11 when he withdrew. He had defeated compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the opening round to reach the second round.

With Sindhu and Ashmita advancing, India will look to build on their performances in the quarterfinals.