Syed Modi International: Ashwini-Tanisha fall at final hurdle

PTI

Lucknow, December 3

The Indian pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto produced a valiant fight before going down in a thrilling three-game women’s doubles final at the Syed Modi International Super 300 here today.

The world No. 32 Indian pair lost 14-21 21-17 15-21 against third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan in a 77-minute clash to make a creditable runners-up finish.

The seventh-seeded Indians made a good start but couldn’t sustain the pressure in the opening game.

Ashwini, 36, and Tanisha, 20, who started playing together only in January this year, roared back into the contest after winning the second game and fought back from 1-8 down in the decider to 13-15 before the world No. 15 Japanese pair marched ahead.

Tanisha dazzled on the frontcourt, producing some precise placements, as the Indian pair made life difficult for their Japanese counterparts. But, it was not to be.

The home shuttlers tried to target the body, and use flick serve but Tanisha often struggled to reach the sidelines and also committed a couple of service errors, allowing Rin and Kie to gain momentum at regular intervals.

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