Singapore, May 29 (UNI) Indian badminton sensation and two-time Olympic medalist P V Sindhu, advanced to the second round of the Singapore Badminton Open 2024 BWF Super 750 tournament held in Kallang here on Wednesday.
She showcased her prowess by defeating Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt, the world No. 21, with a scoreline of 21-12, 22-20 in a match that lasted 44 minutes.
Sindhu, currently ranked 12th globally, sets the stage for a gripping encounter in the second round against her long-time rival and former Olympic champion, Carolina Marin from Spain. Their rivalry, steeped in history, notably includes their faceoff in the final of the Rio 2016 Olympics, where Marin emerged victorious.
Marin holds a commanding 11-6 lead in their head-to-head encounters, making their upcoming clash all the more compelling.
Meanwhile, India's top men's singles player, HS Prannoy, secured his berth in the second round after a hard-fought battle against Belgium's Julien Carraggi, prevailing with a score of 21-9, 18-21, 21-9 in a match lasting 55 minutes.
Prannoy, seeded eighth, is now set to face Japan's Kenta Nishimoto, the world No. 11, in the next round.
In other matches, Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen faced a tough challenge against Denmark's Viktor Axelsen, the reigning Olympic champion. Despite a valiant effort, Sen succumbed to Axelsen in a closely contested encounter that went to a decider.
Additionally, Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth had to retire from his first-round match against Japan's Kodai Naraoka due to unforeseen circumstances, while women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand cruised into the second round after a convincing victory.
However, not all Indian pairs tasted success, as Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa faced an early exit after a closely fought match, and Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker were eliminated from the tournament following a challenging encounter.
In the men's doubles category, Krishna Prasad Garaga and K Sai Pratheek faced a tough challenge against formidable opponents from China, ultimately falling short despite a spirited effort.
In mixed doubles action, Indian pairs faced mixed fortunes, with SK Karunakaran-Aadya Variath succumbing to their Chinese counterparts after a closely contested match, while B Sumeeth Reddy-Sikki Reddy and Venkat Gaurav Prasad-Juhi Dewangan faced similar fates against their respective opponents.
The Singapore Badminton Open 2024 continues to deliver thrilling encounters and unexpected twists as players vie for supremacy on the court.
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