Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod Exit Thailand Open After Second Round Defeats

Indian shuttlers Unnati Hooda and Malvika Bansod bowed out of the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament on Thursday after losing their respective second-round matches.

Seventeen-year-old Unnati, who won the 2022 Odisha Masters and 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters, faced a tough challenge against world number two and top seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand. Unnati went down in straight games, 14-21, 11-21, in a 39-minute contest.

Malvika Bansod, ranked world number 23 and the 2024 Hylo Open runner-up, also struggled against former world champion and Thai veteran Ratchanok Intanon, failing to advance further in the competition.

The early exits mean India will be looking to regroup as the tournament progresses without two of its promising young stars.