Hylo Open 2024: Malvika Bansod defeats Jakobsen to enter final of WS
India’s rising star Malvika Bansod made history on Saturday by reaching the final of the Hylo Open 300 in Germany. This is the second time the leftie has reached the final in the Super 300 category, with her first final being at the Syed Modi International in 2022, where she was defeated by fellow Indian, PV Sindhu.
Bansod, ranked 34 in the world and considered an underdog, showed her skill by defeating Jakobsen, ranked 38, in two straight games with scores of 23-21, 21-18. The initial match was closely contested, with both teams having a chance to win, but the Indian player stayed composed to reach the final showdown.
Jakobsen initially took an 11-6 lead in the first game, but Bansod quickly caught up to tie the score at 13-13. From that point forward, the scores also reached 19-19, but India came out on top. When the second game arrived, the Dane had run out of energy and didn’t appear to be a contender at all.
Also read: Malvika Bansod, Ayush Shetty enter SFs of Hylo Open Badminton
She was ahead 15-7 at one point. However, Jakobsen did stage a return and did manage to surprise her rival, although it wasn’t sufficient for victory that day. Bansod will now face another Danish player Mia Blichfeldt, who is ranked 36th globally, in the final.
Ayush Shetty lost to Christo Popov in MS Semifinal
Unfortunately, Ayush Shetty, another Indian competitor, was defeated in his semifinal match against Christo Popov of France, losing in straight sets. Even though Shetty began the match well, he was unable to match Popov’s speed and ended up losing 17-21, 13-21.
