Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen advanced to the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open with contrasting victories on Thursday, while HS Prannoy bowed out after a dramatic collapse in the deciding game.
Sindhu delivered a dominant performance to defeat Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 in just 37 minutes in the women’s singles second round.
The former world champion barely put a foot wrong throughout the contest, controlling rallies from the outset and never allowing her opponent to settle into rhythm.
Sindhu Faces Tough Test Against An Se Young
Sindhu’s next challenge, however, will be far tougher.
The Indian star will now take on top seed and Olympic champion An Se Young in the quarterfinals.
Sindhu has never beaten the Korean ace and trails 0-8 in their head-to-head record. Their most recent meeting came at last year’s China Open, where An Se Young once again emerged victorious.
Lakshya Sen Advances After Kunlavut Retires Hurt
Lakshya Sen progressed under unfortunate circumstances after world champion and second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn retired due to a back injury just two points into their second-round clash.
The Indian shuttler, who holds a 4-8 record against the Thai star, will now face Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the last eight.
Satwik-Chirag Fight Hard To Reach Quarterfinals
India’s star men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty survived a tough three-game battle against Chinese Taipei duo Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
The fourth-seeded Indian combination won 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 in a contest lasting exactly one hour.
The Asian Games gold medallists will next face Malaysian pair Khai Xing Kang and Aaron Tai.
Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto Continue Impressive Run
India’s mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also entered the quarterfinals after defeating Japanese duo Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi 8-21, 21-17, 21-16.
The Indian pair bounced back strongly after losing the opening game to seal an impressive comeback victory.
They will next face either Korean pair Kim Jae Hyeon and Ha Jeong or the third-seeded Malaysian duo Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.
HS Prannoy Suffers Heartbreaking Defeat
Prannoy, meanwhile, endured a painful defeat against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew after surrendering control in the final game.
The Indian lost 18-21, 21-16, 15-21 in a gruelling 61-minute battle.
Prannoy looked poised for victory after taking a 14-11 lead in the deciding game, but a string of unforced errors — particularly at the net — allowed Loh to win 10 of the next 11 points and complete the comeback.
Prannoy Let Momentum Slip Away
Prannoy had started strongly in the opening game, leading 11-7 at the interval. However, Loh gradually gained control by forcing the Indian into uncomfortable positions and reducing his own unforced mistakes.
After losing the first game, Prannoy responded brilliantly in the second. He controlled the pace, targeted Loh’s forehand corner effectively and levelled the match with aggressive attacking play.
The decider initially followed a similar pattern, with Prannoy racing to an 8-4 lead and later extending it to 14-11. But repeated net errors and poor judgment under pressure proved costly.
Loh capitalised immediately, levelling at 14-14 before reeling off consecutive points to secure the match amid loud support from the home crowd.
India Enjoy Strong Overall Day At Singapore Open
Despite Prannoy’s exit, India enjoyed a highly successful day overall at the Singapore Open, with Sindhu, Lakshya, Satwik-Chirag and Dhruv-Tanisha all progressing to the quarterfinal stage.
The strong performances also come as a boost for Indian badminton ahead of a packed international calendar later this year.