By Admin 
Tankara Gnana Dattu Talasila’s error-strewn opener in a 5-15, 15-7, 15-7 win was the only blip on an otherwise perfect day for India at the World junior badminton championships in Guwahati.
Up against Milan Mesterhazy, a left-handed Hungarian, a nervous Gnana Dattu kept going for rally-ending jump-smashes, only to find the net on multiple occasions.
Once he calmed down, his rival was hardly a match for him. A delicate crosscourt winner from the Indian at the net at 11-5 in the second game had Mesterhazy and the sparse crowd at the National Centre of Excellence applauding him.
Gnana Dattu, who led 8-3 at the mid-game interval in the decider, duly converted his third match point with a smash down the line.
The BWF is testing a best-of-three games format with each game played to 15 points at this event as part of its broader testing and analysis programme.
The first round, perhaps due to a lot of lop-sided match-ups, witnessed multiple clashes which did not last even 15 minutes. H. Lalthazuala and Vennala Kalagotla, the other Indians in action in singles on Monday, featured in two of those fixtures with 15-4, 15-4 victory over Ugandan Denis Mukasa and 15-1, 15-6 win over Ireland’s Siofra Flynn, respectively.
Three Indian pairs in mixed doubles registered straight-game wins, ensuring the full quota of host nation’s entries, including the ones who received byes, will be in action in the second round on a packed Tuesday.
The results (first round, Indians only): Boy’s singles: H. Lalthazuala bt Denis Mukasa (Uga) 15-4, 15-4; Tankara Gnana Dattu Talasila bt Milan Mesterhazy (Hun) 5-15, 15-7, 15-7.
Girl’s singles: Vennala Kalagotla bt Siofra Flynn (Irl) 15-1, 15-6.
Mixed doubles: C. Lalramsanga & Taarini Suri bt Senan O’Rourke & Michelle Shochan (Irl) 15-13, 15-9; Vishnu Kedhar Kode & Keerthy Manchala bt Obapomba Adu-Mintah & Moslena Ama Korama Adu (Gha) 15-7, 15-8; Vansh Dev & Dianka Waldia bt Anish Nair & Mia Fox (Eng) 15-6, 15-11.