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Third Seeded Parupalli Kashyap has reached the quarterfinals of the Taipei Open after defeating Lee Chia-hao 21-10, 21-19. Meanwhile, other Indian shuttlers had a mixed day as Mithun Manjunath bowed out from the second round after losing to Kodai Naraoka 24-22, 5-21, 17-21. Similarly, Priyanshu Rajawat also lost to Chen Chi-ting – 19-21, 13-21.
Kashyap kicked off his match in a dominant fashion as he started the first set by taking an 11-5 lead. He then continued his run and bagged the first game 21-10. In the second game, Lee Chia-Hao had a positive start as he took a 4-1 lead. Chia-Hao held on to this lead as he entered the break with a four-point advantage with a score of 11-7.
The Taiwanese shuttler continued being ahead even with Kashyap’s constant pressure as he was looking to take the second game. But Kashyap remained persistent and took five successive points from being down 12-18 and came back at 17-18. Kashyap then managed to take the lead and then won the second game 21-19 to defeat Lee Chia-hao in 36 minutes and secured his spot in the quarterfinals.
India’s only remaining women’s singles player Samiya Farooqui had a brilliant start but soon was eliminated from the tournament in straight sets by Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Wen-chi in the second round. The match ended at 18-21, 13-21. But Farooqui had one of the best performances of her career so far as she took down World number No 2 Kisona Selvaduray in straight sets.
Meanwhile, India’s fifth-seeded Mixed Doubles team Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto also reached the quarterfinals after beating Cheng Kai Wen and Wang Yu Qiao 21-14, 21-17.
The Indian duo of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Sai Pratheek defeated Thailand’s Charoenkitamorn and Yordphaisong in three games to make it to the second round, where they lost to the top-seeded Chinese Taipei duo Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin.