Bangkok: The Indian women’s badminton team started its campaign in the Uber Cup Finals with a comprehensive 4-1 win against lowly Canada here on Sunday.
Led by two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, the Indian team is placed in Group D in the 16-team draw. The group has higher-ranked South Korea and the United States as the other teams.
Opening their campaign against Canada on the first day of the competition, India won three singles and one doubles match, the lone setback coming in the first women’s doubles encounter.
Sindhu gave the team a perfect start when she subdued Canada’s top singles player Michelle Li 21-19, 21-12 in 33 minutes to give India a 1-0 lead.
The doubles pair of Shruti Mishra and Simran Singhi went down to Rachel Honderich and Kristen Tsai 19-21, 12-21 in 36 minutes as Canada made it 1-1.
In the second singles, Aakarshi Kashyap put India back in lead by beating Wen Yu Zhang of Canada in three games, winning 17-21, 21-18, 21-17 to make it 2-1.
India sealed the victory when their second doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Treesa Jolly defeated Catherine Choi and Josephine Wu 21-9, 21-16 in 36 minutes.
Ashmita Chaliha made it 4-1 for India when she defeated Rachel Chan 12-21, 21-11, 22-20 in 50 minutes.
–IANS