New Delhi: Olympian Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila advanced to the mixed doubles pre-quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 in Ningbo on Tuesday. The Indian pair, ranked 20th in the world, beat Thailand’s Phuwana Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard – ranked 41st – 21-14, 11-21, 21-15 in 51 minutes. It was the first meeting between the two pairs.
Crasto and Kapila took the opening game with authority. They then lost their way in the second, allowing the Thais to level the match. The deciding game was tight up to the interval, with India holding a slender 11-10 lead at the changeover.
From that point, the Indian pair took control and did not look back, sealing their place in the next round, olympics.com reported.
Kapila and Crasto were the only Indian mixed doubles pair to make it past the first round. The duo had reached the quarterfinals at the continental championships last year, falling just one win short of a medal.
Earlier in the day, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh lost to Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien 21-16, 21-15 in 31 minutes. The opening game stayed close until 13-all before the Malaysians moved clear with a four-point burst.
In the second game, India led 7-3 early, but a mid-game run from the Malaysian pair proved decisive.
In the day’s other mixed doubles match, eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie of Malaysia – ranked 11th in the world – defeated Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde 21-13, 21-19 in 34 minutes. Malaysia dominated the first game from the start. India responded strongly in the second, recovering from 2-9 down to narrow the gap to 12-13 and later push the Malaysians to 19-20. Goh and Lai, however, held firm in the closing stages to clinch the match.
