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Sen posted a 21-14 18-21 21-14 triumph over Zhu, while the 23-year-old Mannepalli demonstrated his resilience in a 21-12 13-21 21-18 triumph.
Tharun Mannepalli. (X)
Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli secured his berth in the semifinal of the men’s singles event at the Macau Open Super 300 badminton tournament on Friday following thier wins over Xuan Chen Zhu and Hu Zhe.
Sen posted a 21-14 18-21 21-14 triumph over Zhu, while the 23-year-old Mannepalli demonstrated his resilience in a fixture that lasted an hour and fifteen minutes to dig out a 21-12 13-21 21-18 triumph.
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This marks Mannepalli’s debut semifinal appearance at a BWF Super 300 event. Earlier this year, he reached the quarterfinals at the German Open in February.
Mannepalli, who enrolled at the Pullela Gopichand Academy four years ago, has dedicated the past two years to enhancing his fitness, agility, and movement. His efforts bore fruit this week as he also upset top seed Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the quarterfinals.
The Indian player, who clinched gold at the 37th National Games, found himself trailing 4-7 in the first game before rallying to 12-9. He then took control and scored six consecutive points from 15-11 to win the game.
After the change of ends, Hu played with increased determination, leading 6-2 and further extending his advantage to 15-6. Mannepalli struggled to close the gap as the Chinese player dominated the second game.
In the deciding game, Mannepalli surged to a 5-0 lead and maintained a healthy advantage up to 19-15. The finish became tense as he squandered three points, with Hu sending two returns to his forehand corner.
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However, Mannepalli remained composed and delivered a timely body smash to earn two match points. He then secured the victory with a precise push to Hu’s backhand corner, raising his arms in celebration.
Mannepalli began playing badminton at the age of eight in Khammam, Telangana, before moving to Hyderabad after Class X to pursue the sport seriously alongside his studies.
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