Favourites sail into quarters

Rangga was in the picture keeping Sridhar engaged in long rallies in the first set before succumbing to a 12-21, 11-21 defeat.

Malaysia’s Nur Izzuddin Rumsani overcomes Dubai-based youngster Mohammed Muanis (India) 21-11, 23-25, 21-16 in the concluding round of the super league. — Supplied photo

Dubai — Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia, former world top 20 player and the 2003 All-England champion, brushed aside the challenge of Dubai-based Kornelius Mujiono of Indonesia 21-11, 21-9 in the concluding round of the super league in the 38^th India Club UAE Open Badminton Tournament, on Tuesday night.

Joining him for the knockout phase, the quarterfinals, was India’s former world top 15 Anup Sridhar whose flashes of brilliance and long reach were too hot to handle for another Dubai-based former Indonesian national player Dea Adi Rangga.

Rangga, the ‘open’ category runners-up to compatriot Imam Adi Kusuma Admaja last week, was in the picture keeping Sridhar engaged in long rallies in the first set before succumbing to a 12-21, 11-21 defeat.

“I had problems with a strained back but managed to come through. As we cross into the thirties it’s tough by the day to keep up the pace,” said Sridhar whose long experience in the elite league of international badminton should see him sail further here.

Admaja downed winless Harshit Agarwal (India) 21-16, 21-15 while Ketan Chahal, also struggling in phases with a strained back muscle, kept his slim hopes alive after fighting past another Malaysian Zairul Hafiz Zainudin 21-16, 21-13.

“The practice session on unfamiliar hard courts in Dubai before this event caused this sudden pain on my left side. But with a band around the waist and stomach, I was able to forget about the strain,” said Chalal, the current India number 12 and Haryana state champion.

Ranked Indian Siddharth Thakur won 21-10, 21-12 against Dubai-based Mohammed Munawar while Malaysia’s Nur Izzuddin Rumsani was made to work extra time for a 21-11, 23-25, 21-16 win over another Dubai-based youngster Mohammed Muanis.

As India Club’s CSR activity, exhibition matches for special needs students from the Dubai Autism Center were held on Wednesday morning. The students — Khalaf Aziz, Rawdah Al Bahrani, Euan Andre Soriano, Marwan Abdul Rahman, Sean Mclennan, Rahul Bhojwani and Maseerah were presented with medals and certificates.