Date:17/06/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/17/stories/2006061700651900.htm

Sport - Badminton

Sanave-Rupesh in quarterfinals

Kuching: Thomas Sanave and Rupesh Kumar kept the tri-colour flying in men's doubles after the Indian challenge in the singles event came to a crashing end with Arvind Bhat's straight-game defeat in the men's pre-quarterfinals at the Malaysian Open badminton tournament here.

The Thomas-Rupesh duo played a compact game to down the Malaysian pair of Ying Jin Goh and Mohd Razif Abdul Rahman 21-17, 21-19 to reach the quarterfinals.

To reach the last four stage, the Indian duo will have to overcome another Malaysian pair — Woon Fui Lin and Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Arvind Bhat, the lone Indian left in the men's singles event, suffered a 21-14, 21-17 defeat at the hands of German Roman Spitko to crash out of the event. — UNI