NEW DELHI: Rising Indian shuttler Anmol Kharb’s impressive run at the Arctic Open Super 500 badminton tournament ended with a straight-game loss to three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi on Saturday.
The 18-year-old from Faridabad, part of India’s gold-winning team at the 2024 Asia Team Championships, stayed competitive in the early stages of both the games but Yamaguchi pulled away in the second half to register a comfortable 21-10, 21-13 win in 29 minutes.
Yamaguchi will now take on the winner of the match between two Thai shuttlers—fourth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan and second seed Ratchanok Intanon.
It was a creditable semifinal finish for Kharb, who outwitted notable top-30 players such as Wen Chi Hsu (No. 32) and sixth seed Lin Hsiang Ti (World No. 21), before defeating Denmark’s Amelie Schulz 21-15, 21-14 to reach her first-ever Super 500 semifinal.
A national champion at 16, Kharb produced a spirited performance but struggled to match the experience and craft of Yamaguchi, a former world number one. Agencies
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