BADMINTON ASIA CHAMPIONSHIPS
NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu and men’s singles stars Ayush Shetty and H. S. Prannoy kept India’s campaign on track, while Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth exited early as Indian shuttlers experienced a mixed outing on the opening day of the Badminton Asia Championships on Wednesday.
Sindhu was pushed hard by Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching before coming through a gruelling three-game contest. After conceding the first game 15-21, the Hyderabadi found her rhythm to take the second 21-11. The decider proved to be a closely fought affair, with both players trading points in a tense finish. Locked at 19-19, Sindhu held her nerve to win back-to-back points and close out the match in one hour and seven minutes. She will next face China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the second round.
One of the biggest positives for India came in the form of promising Ayush Shetty, who produced a stunning upset by defeating China’s world No. 7 Li Shi Feng in straight games. The youngster’s composed performance secured him a place in the pre-quarterfinals, where he will take on Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen for a spot in the last eight.
Prannoy, meanwhile, battled his way into the next round with a 24-22, 21-12 victory over Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang. The opening game was a tight contest, with Prannoy saving multiple game points before edging ahead 24-22. He then took control in the second game, maintaining pressure to wrap up the match comfortably. He is set to face China’s Weng Hong Yang next.
In contrast, Lakshya Sen’s campaign ended in the opening round following a straight-game loss to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu. Coming into the tournament with some momentum after a solid run at the All England Championships, Lakshya struggled to find consistency, going down 12-21, 19-21 in a 41-minute match. While he showed improvement in the second game, Lee’s composure in key moments proved decisive.
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth also bowed out after a three-game defeat to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew. Srikanth started well, taking the opening game 21-18 after building momentum midway through. However, Loh responded strongly to claim the second game 21-9 and carried that dominance into the decider, sealing it 21-11 with a series of attacking rallies.
Elsewhere, India endured setbacks in women’s singles as Malvika Bansod and Tanvi Sharma crashed out following straight-game defeats in their respective matches.
Agencies