Bangkok, May 13:
India enjoyed a mixed day at the Thailand Open Super 500 badminton tournament as P. V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the second round, while rising stars Unnati Hooda, Ayush Shetty and others bowed out in the opening round.
Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu produced a commanding performance to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong 21-9, 21-12 in just 33 minutes. The sixth seed looked in complete control throughout the contest and moved into the Round of 16, where she will face Denmark’s Amalie Schulz.
Former world No. 1 Srikanth also delivered one of his best performances of the season, stunning Singapore’s eighth seed Loh Kean Yew 21-14, 21-15. The victory was especially significant as it came against a top-ranked opponent and underlined Srikanth’s return to form.
However, India’s young brigade endured a disappointing day. Ayush Shetty, fresh from his historic silver medal at the Asian Championships, suffered an early exit after losing a hard-fought three-game battle. Teen sensation Unnati Hooda also crashed out after failing to capitalize on her opportunities.
India did get another reason to cheer as youngster Devika Sihag registered her maiden Super 500 main-draw victory to progress to the next round. With Sindhu and Srikanth carrying India’s hopes, fans will be eager to see if the experienced duo can mount a deep run in Bangkok.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment.