Indian Shuttlers Malvika Bansod and Ayush Shetty Shine at Hylo Open 2024

Indian badminton players Malvika Bansod and Ayush Shetty progress to the Hylo Open 2024 semi-finals. Bansod, ranked sixth, impressively defeated Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh in straight games. Meanwhile, Shetty secured his spot with a victory over Finland's Kalle Koljonen, setting up a clash with France's Christo Popov.

Indian badminton stars Malvika Bansod and Ayush Shetty have advanced to the semi-finals of the Hylo Open 2024 in Saarbrucken, Germany. On Friday, the 23-year-old Bansod, who occupies the sixth seed at this BWF Super 300 tournament, showcased her prowess by defeating fourth-seeded Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam with a convincing 21-15, 21-17 win in the women's singles quarter-final.

Bansod took an early and commanding lead, capitalizing on an eight-point advantage at 10-2. Despite Nguyen's efforts to close the gap, Malvika decisively claimed the victory by securing the final three points of the first game. The second game unfolded similarly, as Bansod maintained her dominance, eventually ousting Nguyen and securing a spot against Denmark's Julie Dawall Jakobsen in the semi-finals. This marks Bansod's third semi-final appearance this year, following impressive runs at the Azerbaijan International and US Open.

In the men's singles, rising star Ayush Shetty, 19, continued his ascendancy with a straight-game victory over Finland's Kalle Koljonen, winning 21-18, 21-18. Shetty is set to face France's Christo Popov in the semi-finals. Popov advanced due to a walkover after India's Sathish Kumar Karunakaran withdrew. Notably, Indian Olympians Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu are absent from this year's Hylo Open. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)