In a dramatic comeback victory, the Indian women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto recovered from match points down to etch their names in the history books by reaching the semifinals of the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament for the first time.
Facing a stern test against the 26th ranked Korean duo of Lee Yu-Lim and Shin Seung-Chan in the quarterfinals, Ashwini and Tanisha made a strong start by taking the opening game 21-15. However, the Koreans lifted their game in the second and managed to force a decider through a close 21-23 win.
Trailing 8-11 in the deciding third game, it seemed the Indians' semifinal dream was slipping away. But they showed tremendous fighting spirit and clawed their way back into the contest through some tactical play from Ashwini at the back of the court and powerful finishes at the net by Tanisha.
After saving two match points earlier, the match was locked at 19-19 in a tense climax. Tanisha then rose to the occasion with back-to-back clutch points, the first a clever service return winner and the second a powerful volley to secure the 21-19 victory.
In reaching their first Super 500 semifinal, the Indian pair have taken a significant step forward in what has been an impressive season so far. They will look to build on this breakthrough performance when they face top seeds Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand for a place in the final.
The semifinal lineup is also strengthened by the presence of men's doubles top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who cruised into the last four with a routine win. However, it was the end of the road for Maisnam Meiraba, who learned from a defeat against reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
