India keep their knockout hopes alive at the Uber Cup Finals after they bounced back brilliantly from their opening round defeat, beating Ukraine comfortably in their second Group A match in Horsens, Denmark
After a close 2-3 loss to Denmark in their first match, India needed a strong performance and they delivered. The women’s team sealed the tie early by winning all three singles matches, taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead.
Youngster Unnati Hooda led the charge with a solid performance in the first singles match. The 18-year-old held her nerve in a tight contest to beat Polina Buhrova 21-19, 22-20.
Tanvi Sharma faced a tougher challenge in the second singles. She won the first game easily but lost the second, pushing the match into a decider. Tanvi then stepped up when it mattered most, dominating the final game to win 21-12, 17-21, 21-10.
Devika Sihag sealed the tie for India in the third singles. She fought hard to win a close first game and then finished strongly, beating Mariia Stoliarenko 23-21, 21-13.
With the result already decided, the two doubles matches didn’t have any impact on the outcome.
This win brings India back into contention after their earlier loss. Ukraine, on the other hand, are almost out of the race for the quarterfinals after losing both their matches so far.
Only the top two teams from each group will move to the next round, so India’s qualification will depend on their final group match.
They will face a strong China side on Monday in what is expected to be a must-win clash to reach the knockout stage.
