Ponnappa and Crasto Face Setbacks in Paris Olympics Women's Doubles

India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto faced a disappointing turn at the Paris Olympics, suffering their second consecutive defeat in the women's doubles badminton competition. The Indian duo lost to Japan's Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, placing them third in their group and making qualification for the quarterfinals challenging.

India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto are on the brink of an early exit from the women's doubles badminton competition at the Paris Olympics, following their second group stage defeat on Monday.

Facing formidable opposition, the Indian duo lost 11-21, 12-21 to Japan's world number four pair, Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, in a 48-minute Group C match. The defeat follows a previous loss to South Korea's Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong.

Ponnappa and Crasto, currently ranked world number 19, now sit third in their group. Only the top two pairs from each group advance to the quarterfinals, making the Indians' path forward steep. Ponnappa expressed her disappointment, stating, 'This was the only shot we had for a chance to get to the quarters. Not the way we wanted to play but they were very strong.'

The Indian duo struggled to pressure their opponents, never taking the lead or even leveling the score. The Japanese pair dominated the match from the start, leading 4-0 after a long rally. Though Ponnappa managed a smash to earn India's first point, it was largely a one-sided contest with the Japanese steadily widening their lead.

In the second game, the Japanese raced to a 7-1 lead, and injuries further hampered the Indian side as Crasto required medical attention for a finger injury. Despite a brief surge of back-to-back points from Crasto and Ponnappa, the Japanese pair's superior court coverage and coordination led them to nine match points.

In their final group game, Ponnappa and Crasto will face Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu. Reflecting on their performance, Crasto remarked, 'There's a lot to take away. It builds my confidence as we are playing at such a high level and giving fight to every pair. It's not over for us yet.'

(With inputs from agencies.)