Malvika Bansod Enters China Open Quarterfinals With Another Win Against Higher-Ranked Opponent

Malvika Bansod entered the quarterfinals of the ongoing China Open after defeating higher-ranked Kristy Gilmour of Scotland in a hard-fought Round of 16 match on Thursday. (More Sports News)

The 23-year-old Indian shuttler took one hour and five minutes to pull off a 21-17, 19-21, 21-16 win over Gilmour, the two-time Commonwealth Games medallist. The Indian is ranked 43rd while Gimour is world number 25. This is Bansod's second big scalp in the tournament.

In the first round, Bansod got past world number seven and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia in straight sets.

This is Bansod's first Super 1000 tournament quarterfinal and she terms it "the biggest achievement" of her life.

"This is the first time I will play a quarterfinal of a Super 1000 tournament so it is a dream come true and the biggest achievement of my life so far," Malvika said after the match.

"I dreamt about this before the tournament that how would it be if I reached the quarters and now I'm top 8, so it's a great feeling," she added.

Talking about the match, the Indian said "There is a lot of drift from this part so I found it difficult to control in the last parts of the last game and second game as well. But I'm glad god helped me."

"My retrieving is working well, I am able to control the shuttle better than the others. The conditions are a bit tricky for both players but I'm able to handle it better," she said.

She added that she is focusing on enhancing her strength.

"This circuit is very tough because if you are entering a Super 500 or 1000 you end up playing a top 10 in the first round as I'm not seeded yet. So, I need to be physically strong from the beginning itself. I have been working on that."

Bansod will now be up against fourth seed and two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the quarterfinal. The Indian has not been able to win any of the two matches that she has played against the Japanese.

"Hope for the best. I am in good form let's see how it goes tomorrow. I will give my best," she said.