November 20, 2024: Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu made a strong start to her campaign at the ongoing China Masters badminton tournament with a victory over Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand. In a match lasting 1 hour and 22 minutes, Sindhu triumphed with a 21-17, 21-19 scoreline, advancing to the next round.
Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod also impressed in the women’s singles, securing a hard-fought win over Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt in the round of 32. Bansod won the match 20-22, 23-21, 21-16, progressing to the next stage after a tense battle.
In the men’s singles, India’s Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen continued his strong form by defeating Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia 21-14, 13-21, 21-13 in 42 minutes. Sen’s victory saw him reach the pre-quarterfinals of the tournament.
On the mixed doubles front, Indian duo B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy won their opening-round match against the American pair Presley Smith and Jennie Gai. The Indian pair, ranked 32nd in the world, triumphed 23-21, 17-21, 21-17, and will now face the top-seeded Chinese duo of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in the round of 16.
In other action, Priyanshu Rajawat was eliminated in the men’s singles by Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, losing 24-22, 13-21, 18-21. Despite a strong start in the first game, Rajawat couldn’t maintain his momentum and bowed out of the tournament.
In women’s singles, 46th-ranked Aakarshi Kashyap fell to Japan’s 14th-ranked Tomoka Miyazaki, losing 21-10, 21-18. However, Anupama Upadhyaya stunned world number 15 Beiwen Zhang from the USA, defeating her 21-17, 8-21, 22-20 in a 48-minute thriller.
Top-ranked men’s doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will also be in action at the China Masters, marking their first tournament since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they did not secure a medal.
