Hangzhou: Jyothi Surekha Vennam used all her experience to prevail over her teammate Aditi Swami to advance to the women’s compound individual final at the Asian Games here Tuesday.
Leading by one-point after four ends, 17-year-old Aditi, the reigning senior world champion, misfired an arrow into the seven-point ring in the final round to gift a 149-146 win to her ‘idol’ Jyothi.
It was a big relief for the 27-year-old Jyothi who had lost to Aditi at the same event of the World Championships in August in Berlin.
Both of them shot 60 out of 60 in their first six arrows, before Jyothi slipped a bit in the third end by dropping a point.
Aditi kept shooting in the 10-ring at ease before the slip-up in the final end cost her the match.
Aditi will now fight for the bronze medal, while Jyothi will look for that elusive gold in her third Asian Games appearance.
The multiple World Cup gold medalist Jyothi has never won a gold medal at the continetal showpiece. She has one silver (2018) and a bronze (2014), both coming in the team events.
In the men’s compound individual section, India also assured themselves at least a bronze medal after Abhishek Verma and Ojas Deotale entered the last-four stage.
Overall, the Indian archers are in medal hunt in nine events, including three in individual sections.
Former 2014 silver medalist Verma overcame a late challenge from Tyutyun and won an intense shoot-off to make the semifinal.
Leading 60-57 after two ends, Verma slipped as his Kazakh rival Andrey Tyutyun bounced back to level 147-147 and forced a shoot-off.
Both the archers shot a 10, but the Indian was adjudged the winner — 147-147 (10*-10) — with his arrow closer to the centre.
Current world champion Deotale, on the other hand, shot an incredible 150 out of 150 to breeze past Akbarali Karbayev of Kazakhstan.
The duo find themselves at the opposite end and head for a possible final clash, should they get past their respective semifinal hurdles.
Fourth seed Verma will take on South Korean top seed Joe Jaehoon later in the day.
Third-seeded Deotale will face seventh-seeded Yang Jaewon of South Korea.
Earlier, fourth seeded Aditi dropped just one point from 15 arrows to eliminate Amaya Amparo Cojuangco of Phillipines 149-146 in the quarterfinals.
Seasoned Jyothi on the other hand ousted ninth seed Adel Zhexenbinova of Kazakhstan 147-144 in her last-eight round match.
Aditi, who considers the seasoned Jyothi as her idol, had beaten the latter 145-149 in the semifinal en route to becoming senior world champion at Berlin in August this year.
