Odisha Masters: Hooda clinches women’s singles, George wins men’s crown

Unnati Hooda and Kiran George clinched the women’s and men’s singles titles at the Odisha Masters Super 100 in Cuttack. Hooda beat Isharani Baruah in straight games, while George overcame Indonesia’s Muhamad Yusuf in a three-game thriller

Cuttack: Top seed Unnati Hooda and Kiran George delivered commanding performances to clinch the women’s and men’s singles titles respectively in the Odisha Masters Super 100 tournament here on Sunday.

Hooda showed composure as she defeated compatriot Isharani Baruah 21-17, 21-10 in just over half an hour. The 18-year-old controlled the rallies from the outset, denying Baruah the momentum that had powered her impressive run in the BWF World Tour event.

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Despite the loss, Baruah capped a memorable week with a well-earned silver medal after a series of standout performances at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The men’s singles final witnessed a gripping contest with second seed George prevailing over Indonesia’s Muhamad Yusuf 21-14, 13-21, 21-16 in a hard-fought battle that lasted 65 minutes. George took the opening game before Yusuf fought back to level the match.

Showing resilience and tactical clarity, George closed out the decider to secure the title. Indonesia enjoyed success in the mixed doubles, where Marwan Faza and Aisyah Pranata defeated compatriots Dejan Ferdinansyah and Bernadine Wardana 21-15, 21-10. In women’s doubles, Bulgaria’s top seeds Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva overcame Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting 21-19, 21-14.

The men’s doubles crown went to Indonesia’s Ali Faathir Rayhan and Devin Artha Wahyudi, who rallied past Malaysia’s Khang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai 15-21, 21-12, 21-16.