State Badminton Championship: Pune shuttlers Saad, Shruti qualify for badminton quarterfinal

Pune's top seed Sa Dharmhikari brushed aside a strong challenge from Kolhapur's Prerana Alvekar to qualify for women's singles quarter-finals in Shri Nandu Natekar Memorial Maharashtra State Senior Inter District (Team) and State Bminton Championship.

In men's singles round of 32 matches, top seeded Pune's Varun Kapur eased past Rohit Bore (Raig) 21-8, 21-17, while second seed Yash Shah got past Shubham Pal (BAMU) 21-17, 21-7 to vance to pre-quarter-finals.

Alvekar started promisingly against fancied Dharmhikari and won a close opening game.

But Dharmhikari came into her own and dominated next two games to complete an 18-21, 21-12, 21-12 victory to seal her place in last eight.

second seed Shruti Munda from Pune got a walkover from Raksha Kandasamy (Raig).

Thane's Siya Singh recovered after losing first game against Nehal Gosavi (Nagpur) and went on to clinch a 19-21, 21-17, 21-10 victory to progress to quarter-finals.

Results: Women’s singles (round-16): 1-Sa Dharmhikari bt Prerana Alvekar 18-21, 21-12, 21-12; Mrunmayee Deshpande bt Prakriti Sharma 21-19, 21-10; Ananya Ggil bt Shalmali Sutar 21-15, 21-10; Purva Barve bt Hrissha Dubey 21-14, 21-12; Aarya Korgaonkar bt Sanskruti Satarkar 21-15, 21-14; Isha Patil bt Bhatoye Naishaa 21-17, 1-0 retired; Siya Singh bt Nehal Gosavi 19-21, 21-17, 21-10; 2-Shruti Munda W/o Raksha Kandasamy.

Men’s singles (round 32): 1-Varun Kapur bt Rohit Bore 21-8, 21-17; Pratmesh Kulkarni bt Nin Kulkarni 17-21, 23-21, 21-10; Nagesh Chamle bt Ajay Meena 21-14, 21-17; Suveer Prhan bt Ojas Gedam 12-21, 21-9, 24-22; 2-Yash Shah bt Shubham Pal 21-17 21-7.