BITS Pilani obliterated IIIT Kota in a near clean sweep, finishing the job in just 2 games. The match failed to be entertaining, as the competition was one-sided throughout the semifinal. After the first set of the singles game, it could be reasonably deduced that the outcome of the encounter had already been decided.
As the first singles game began, it was immediately understood that Ananya, from BITS P, was a far superior player than her opposition, Apurva. Ananya’s technique and game sense were much more refined, and her play-style was far more aggressive and attacking. After many consecutive points, her aggressive shots were costing her a few mistakes, which happened to be the only points scored by Apurva. Ananya realised that she did not need to play aggressive, decided to switch her style and play more simple shots, which unsurprisingly, seemed to confuse Apurva. A quick inspection of the crowd revealed that a noticeable chunk of them had pity in their eyes. Although the last few rallies saw Ananya play the same predictable shots—a long and high shot to the back, followed by a simple but powerful smash—Apurva still had no answer to her dominance. The set ended at 21-3 in favour of BITS P.
Ananya sensing that she posed no real threat, decided to take a more casual approach to the next set. There was still no improvement from Apurva’s side. Once again the only points to Apurva’s name caused by silly mistakes by Ananya, this set was also wrapped up quickly with the score 21-4.
After a grim start for IIIT Kota, they didn’t seem too eager for the second game, doubles. This was played by Apurva and Priyanka against Adya and Eshita, representing IIIT Kota and BITS P respectively. In this game, Apurva continued to play sloppy and misjudged shots, often hitting the net or sending the cork out of bounds. Although her teammate did show comparatively better skills, IIIT Kota’s lack of coordination resulted in yet another crushing defeat of 4-21.
By the second set of the doubles game, IIIT Kota knew that they had no chance of winning. The set progressed identical to the previous sets. Although the referee was bound by the rules to end the match, it was more likely that he did it to end their misery. With the final set of the game once again ending in 4-21, it was clear that IIIT Kota had a long way to go before having a team good enough to compete at a college level badminton tournament. Atleast this semifinal didn’t waste much of anyone’s time.