Orleans Masters: Priyanshu Rajawat stuns top seed Kenta Nishimoto to advance to quarter-finals

Orleans, France: India’s Priyanshu Rajawat notched up a stunning straight-game win over top seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan to progress to the men’s singles quarter-finals of the Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament in Orleans on Thursday. World number 58 Rajawat showed immaculate skills and tactical acumen en route a 21-8 21-16 win over world No 12 Nishimoto, who had claimed the Madrid Spain Masters title on last Sunday. It could turn out to be an all-Indian quarter-final contest if national champion Mithun Manjunath can get past Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen later in the day. Rajawat, who was part of India’s Thomas Cup-winning team, came out all guns blazing, galloping to a huge 10-0 lead in the opening game as Nishimoto found the going tough despite all his efforts, which saw him grab just eight points. After the change of sides, the Japanese managed to move to a 6-2 advantage but Rajawat soon clawed back at 10-10. Nishimoto took a one-point cushion to go into the mid-game break but a burst of six points helped the Indian eke out a 16-11 lead. The Japanese once again led a fightback but Rajawat managed to keep his nose ahead. In women’s singles, Tanya Hemanth will meet Natsuki Nidaira of Japan, while three doubles pairing of MR Arjun-Dhruv Kapila, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, and Sai Pratheek K and Tanisha are also in the fray. Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.