Unseeded Indian player Hmar Laithazuala produced a major upset at the ninth Lagos International Badminton Classics on Friday, defeating tournament favourite and top seed Misha Zilberman of Israel to reach the men’s singles final.
Laithazuala dominated the semifinal at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Lagos, winning 21-12, 21-6 against Zilberman, who was reportedly playing through an injury. The victory earned the Indian a place in his first international final.
In the other semifinal, another unseeded Indian, Tankara Talasila, edged third seed Dmitriy Panarin of Kazakhstan 21-19, 20-22, 21-1 in a fiercely contested encounter. Talasila will now face Laithazuala in an all-Indian final as the competition reaches its climax.
Zilberman congratulated Laithazuala after the defeat, acknowledging the tough competition, while the Indian praised the Israeli as a great player. Laithazuala expressed delight at reaching his first international final and said he was looking forward to the title clash scheduled for Saturday.
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