Rakshitha, Mithun Win Singles Titles at CM Trophy India International

Rakshitha Sree Sai Lakshmi and Sathish Kumar Mithun won the women's and men's singles titles, respectively, at the CM Trophy India International Challenge badminton tournament in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Lakshmi, seeded third, defeated compatriot Anupama Upadhyaya 21-14, 21-11 in the women's singles final, while Mithun, seeded fourth, overcame Malaysia's Shahzan Shah 21-10, 21-13 in the men's singles final.

Lakshmi, who had earlier upset top seed Smit Toshniwal in the semifinals, dominated the match from the start, taking a 6-1 lead in the first game and never looking back. Upadhyaya, who had knocked out second seed Saina Nehwal in the quarterfinals, was unable to match Lakshmi's pace and power.

Mithun, who had reached the semifinals of the Syed Modi International last month, continued his good form in Hyderabad. He raced to a 10-3 lead in the first game and never allowed Shah to get back into the contest.

In the second game, Mithun was even more dominant, taking a 10-0 lead before Shah finally got on the board. Mithun wrapped up the match in just 36 minutes.

Lakshmi and Mithun's victories were the only bright spots for India in the tournament. The Indian men's and women's doubles pairs were all knocked out in the early rounds.

The CM Trophy India International Challenge is a Badminton World Federation (BWF) International Challenge tournament, which is one level below the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournaments.