India’s Malvika Bansod began her Hylo Open 2024 campaign with a strong performance, advancing to the second round after defeating Bulgaria’s Hristomira Popovska in Saarbrücken, Germany. The world No. 34 breezed past Popovska, ranked 109th, with a decisive 21-6, 21-17 victory in the women’s singles event at this BWF Super 300 tournament, held at the Saarlandhalle indoor arena.
Bansod, who reached the quarterfinals in last year’s Hylo Open, showed her skill and determination as she dominated the first game, establishing control early on. While Popovska put up a stronger fight in the second game, Bansod maintained her composure, sealing the win to move forward in the tournament. She will now face Denmark’s Irina Amalie Andersen in the round of 16, where she’ll look to continue her momentum.
Meanwhile, another Indian shuttler, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, also progressed to the second round. She outplayed Chinese Taipei’s Yu Chien Hui in straight sets, winning 21-13, 21-19 in a match that lasted just over 30 minutes. Ramraj’s next challenge will be against eighth seed Julie Dawall Jakobsen from Denmark, setting up an exciting clash in the women’s singles round of 16.
India’s Keyura Mopati also made strides, advancing to the main draw with a 21-15, 21-15 victory over Germany’s Miranda Wilson in the qualifiers, showcasing her readiness to compete on the main stage.
In the women’s doubles, India’s Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra are set to face the sixth-seeded Danish duo, Natasja P. Anthonisen and Maiken Fruergaard, in their opening match, marking another key fixture for India in the tournament.
Men’s singles competitor Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, currently world No. 44 and seeded seventh at the Hylo Open, will take the court on Wednesday as he aims to build on his recent form.
The Hylo Open has been a favourable ground for Indian badminton players in recent years. Lakshya Sen, a 2024 Paris Olympics semi-finalist, clinched the men’s singles title at this tournament in 2019, when it was classified as a BWF Super 100 event. A year prior, Indian shuttler Subhankar Dey also captured the men’s singles crown when the tournament was known as the SaarLorLux Open.
