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| Ashwini and Tanisha |
After mutually splitting up with Sikki Reddy earlier this year, Ashwini Ponnappa will pair up with youngster Tanisha Crasto next season.
"We'll start next year, and hopefully we can get in at the India Open," Tanisha said on Friday with great enthusiasm. Both Tanisha and her partner have been training together for some time now, and Tanisha reckons the partnership is coming along quite well after they parted ways with their respective partners. “We both had different partners and split around the same time. The coaches suggested maybe we should play together. So we had a talk. I think it’s working out very well,” Tanisha added.
Assuming the India Open doesn't materialize, Ashwini and Sikki will enter the Indonesia event. Tanisha and Shruti Mishra rank No 130 and 24 respectively. She added that “She needed someone who can finish from the front court, and I needed a partner who could hit from the back and set it up for me. We are working hard to gel this combination. It’s exciting, can’t wait to start
Ashwini has taken over mentorship role play with Sikki and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy after winning a World's medal and CWG gold and silver. Tanisha added, “I’ve always looked up to her as an idol. She has a great on-court attitude and is one of the strongest hitters. I learn new things every single day from her."
In this development, India's Uber Cup team now has two formidable pairings to complement its singles lineup. Ashwini – Tanisha can offer two competitive challenges since the second doubles have always been a weak link in team events since Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly cracked the Top 20.
