Sindhu and Sen Excel in Singapore Open As Prannoy Falters
In the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament, Sindhu and Sen made it to the quarterfinals, showcasing strength and resilience. However, Prannoy's dramatic collapse against Loh Kean Yew signifies critical weaknesses under pressure.
Highlights
- •PV Sindhu advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight game win over Riko Gunji
- •Lakshya Sen progressed despite the second seed's early retirement due to back issues
- •HS Prannoy's exit was marked by a series of unforced errors in the decisive third game against Loh Kean Yew
- •Sindhu will face former opponent An Se Young, while Lakshya awaits his next opponent
Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and world championship bronze winner Lakshya Sen secured their places in the quarterfinals of the USD 1 million Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament. However, top seed HS Prannoy's journey came to an end after a dramatic collapse in a hard-fought match against home favourite Loh Kean Yew.
Strengths Displayed by Sindhu and Sen
PV Sindhu, a former world champion, dispatched Japan's Riko Gunji with ease in 37 minutes. Her opponent will now be An Se Young of Korea, ranked top seed. Despite their rivalry, Sindhu has only lost to her eight times and the last encounter was at the China Open last year.
Another bright spot for India is Lakshya Sen, who managed to qualify in a unique manner against the second seed Kunlavut Viditsarn. Viditsarn retired after the two-point mark due to back issues. Lakshya will now face Koki Watanabe of Japan.
India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, faced a tough challenge from Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei. They managed to eke out a narrow 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 victory lasting exactly an hour before advancing to play Malaysia's Khai Xing Kang and Aaron Tai.
The mixed pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto progressed through a close match against the Japanese pair of Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi. The final score was 8-21, 21-17, 21-16.
Dramatic Collapse for Prannoy
Prannoy had a tough exit after a dramatic ending where he capitulated in the third game against Loh Kean Yew. Loh gradually took control of rallies, turning the tide and winning convincingly 18-21, 21-16, 15-21.
The match was filled with twists and turns as Prannoy lost a comfortable first game despite leading 14-7 early on. A relentless series of unforced errors allowed Loh to dominate the decider, ultimately securing the win for his home crowd amid enthusiastic support from the Singaporean spectators.
Sindhu's journey in the tournament has faced a significant challenge as she will now meet An Se Young in round 8. Her history with An is marked by numerous defeats despite their rivalry. Similarly, Lakshya's match against Koki Watanabe promises excitement due to their previous encounters.Prannoy's exit after a strong start
