BENGALURU: Karnataka shuttler Tanya Hemanth clinched the women's singles title at the Bendigo International badminton tournament in Australia on Sunday. She registered a 21-17, 21-17 win over Chinese Taipei's Tung Ciou-Tong in the final, which lasted 41 minutes.
The Bengaluru girl, who dropped just one game in the tournament—against Singapore's Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi in the semifinal—showcased impressive consistency. In the final, it was a tight first game with the scores even at 16-16. Although sixth seed Tung tested her in rallies, the Indian, seeded second, was in the lead for the majority of the second game.
"I am pleased with the way I played the tough points, especially in the final and the semifinal, where the rallies were long," Tanya told TOI.
It was her third international challenge title after winning her maiden title in October 2022 (Bengaluru), followed by victory in Iran in February last year. However, it was a mixed year for the Indian, who finished runner-up at the Azerbaijan International (February) and Polish Open (March). She suffered early exits in the last four competitions before the Bendigo event.
Tanya, who trains at the Simply Sport badminton excellence program, is aware of the need to be consistent. "I came close to winning the title in those two finals earlier in the year, but I have gained confidence after winning this title. I have to be consistent since I just entered the world tour tournaments also," said Tanya, who will next play at the Roketto Sydney International, starting Wednesday.
In the men's doubles final, top seed Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi from India lost to fifth seed Po Li-Wei and Chen Cheng Kuan of Chinese Taipei 17-21, 14-21.
Raghu wins gold in Egypt
Making it a Super Sunday for badminton in the state, Raghu Mariswamy emerged victorious in the Egypt international badminton tournament. In Cairo, the 24-year-old defeated Spain's Alvaro Vazquez 24-22, 17-21, 21-16.
Speaking about Mandya native Raghu, who has been training at the Yadav Pro Badminton Academy since 2019, his coach Jagadish Yadav said, "Raghu is a player who is ever-willing to learn. Besides, his ability to work hard and dedication on the court is impressive."
