Thomas and Uber Cup: After Saina Nehwal's Injury, India win 3-2 against Spain

In what should have been a comfortable win for the Indian team, the women shuttlers won 3-2 against Spain in the Group B clash against Spain at the 2020 Uber Cup in Aarhus, Denmark on Sunday. Youngsters Malvika Bansod and Aditi Bhatt won their singles matches, while the doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto/Rutuparna Panda won the doubles tie.

Veteran Saina Nehwal and the experienced team of Ashwini Ponnappa/N Sikki Reddy lost their respective matches. In the first match of the day for India,  Nehwal lost the first game 20-22 against Spanish Clara Azurmendi, before retiring hurt from the match. Later the  20-year-old Malvika Bansod got India level at 1-1 with a swift 21-13, 21-15 win over Beatriz Corrales.

Next up, the pair of Tanisha Crasto/Rutuparna Panda scored a dominating 21-10, 21-8 win over Paula Lopez/Lorena Usle. Later, Aditi Bhatt clinched the tie 3-1 for India with a 21-16, 21-14 victory over Ania Setien. Ashwini Ponnappa/N Sikki Reddy were beaten 18-21, 21-14, 17-21 by Clara Azurmendi/Beatriz Corrales in the last match of the day. 

Now Team India will next play Scotland on Tuesday, and a win there would all but seal their berth in the playoffs.

Indian men's team script 5-0 win over the Netherlands

The Indian men’s team scripted a comfortable 5-0 victory over the Netherlands in their opening match of the ongoing 2021 Thomas Cup in Aarhus, Denmark, on Sunday. 

India’s Kidambi Srikanth started off on a positive note, having defeated Joran Kweekel with scores of 21-12, 21-14 in the first singles tie. Following which, the men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy ran over the Ruben Jille/Ties van der Lecq with scores of 21-19, 21-12 to give India a 2-0 lead in the match.

Meanwhile, world championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth ensured India’s win with a clinical performance to topple Robin Mesman in the second singles. The duo of MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila made it 4-0 for India with a win over Andy Buijk/Brian Wassnik.

Sameer Verma signed off with a dominating victory over Gijs Duijs, with the final scores reading 21-6, 21-11. The Indian team will be up against Tahiti in their next match, on Tuesday.