Ningbo, April 8 Two-time Olympics medallist P. V. Sindhu and H.S. Prannoy overcame a tough first-round challenge, while Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth faced an unexpected exit as Indian fortunes varied on the first day of the Badminton Asia Championships on Wednesday.
Sindhu was tested by Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching before securing a hard-fought victory in three games. After dropping the opener 15-21, the Indian shuttler regrouped, taking control of the second game 21-11.
The deciding game turned into a tense battle with frequent momentum shifts. With the scores locked at 19-19, Sindhu relied on her experience to clinch the final two points and seal the match in one hour and seven minutes. The Indian ace will next play Wang Zhi Yi of China in the second round.
In contrast, Lakshya’s campaign came to an abrupt end after a straight-games defeat against Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu. The Indian, who had entered the tournament on the back of an encouraging run at the All England Championships, went down 12-21, 19-21 in a 41-minute encounter.
Lakshya failed to settle into the contest in the opening game, and although he mounted a stronger challenge in the second, Lee’s control in crucial exchanges and ability to close out points proved decisive.
Meanwhile, Prannoy advanced to the next round with a straight-games 24-22, 21-12 win over Nguyen Hai Dang. He edged a tight opening game 24-22 after saving multiple game points in a closely fought contest. He then dominated the second game, racing ahead with sustained momentum to seal it 21-12, setting a second round clash with Chinese shuttler Weng Hong Yang
In another match, Srikanth bowed out after going down to former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in three games. He made a strong start to the contest, edging a closely fought opening game 21-18 after building momentum with a seven-point run. However, Loh responded back in the second game, dominating rallies and pulling away to claim it 21-9, levelling the match.
The Singaporean carried that momentum into the decider, maintaining control with consistent attacking play and a seven-point streak to seal the game 21-11.
India’s standout performance of the day came from rising talent Ayush Shetty, who stunned World No. 7 Li Shi Feng of China in straight games to advance to the pre-quarterfinals. He will next play world No. 20 Chi Yu Jen of Taipei for a place in the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere, India endured setbacks in women’s singles as Malvika Bansod and Tanvi Sharma bowed out following straight-game defeats in their respective matches.
--IANS
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