Malvika Bansod’s excellent run at the Hylo Open Super 300 came to an end as she finished second against Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in the final, 10-21, 15-21 on Sunday.
The 23-year-old southpaw, who won memorable matches on her way to her maiden Super 300 final, including a triumph over fourth seed Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam, struggled to keep up with Blichfeldt’s pace, losing in 43 minutes.
In the first game, Blichfeldt took advantage of Malvika’s mistakes, scoring eight straight points to take a 17-10 lead and eventually winning the game comfortably.
Malvika battled back in the second game, eventually leading 11-8. However, Blichfeldt’s tremendous cross-court smashes allowed her to tie the game at 12 apiece before capturing five straight points to win the title.
This is Malvika’s second appearance in a major final; she previously reached the title round of the Syed Modi India International in 2022, but was defeated by two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu.
Malvika made waves in September when she defeated Paris Olympics bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the first round of the China Open Super 100 before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. PTI TAP KHS.