India enjoyed a mixed day at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Thursday, with PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen advancing to the quarterfinals, while H.S. Prannoy exited after a dramatic third-game collapse against home favourite Loh Kean Yew.
Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu produced one of her most convincing performances of the season, brushing aside Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 in just 37 minutes. The former world champion dominated from the outset, controlling the rallies and never allowing her opponent to settle into the contest.
The victory, however, sets up a formidable challenge in the quarterfinals, where Sindhu will face top seed and reigning Olympic champion An Se Young of South Korea. The Indian has yet to register a victory over the Korean star, having lost all eight of their previous meetings, including their most recent encounter at last year’s China Open.
Lakshya Sen also secured his place in the last eight, although his passage came under unusual circumstances. The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist was leading only two points into his second-round match when second seed Kunlavut Viditsarn retired due to a back injury. Sen will now face Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the quarterfinals.
India’s doubles contingent also enjoyed success. The fourth-seeded men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty battled past Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in a hard-fought three-game encounter. The Asian Games champions claimed a 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 victory after exactly one hour of play to move into the quarterfinals, where they will meet Malaysia’s Khai Xing Kang and Aaron Tai.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto staged an impressive comeback after losing the opening game to defeat Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi 8-21, 21-17, 21-16. The Indian pair now await their quarterfinal opponents.
The biggest disappointment of the day came in men’s singles, where Prannoy squandered a strong position to lose 18-21, 21-16, 15-21 against Loh Kean Yew in a match lasting 61 minutes.
The experienced Indian appeared on course for victory after building a 14-11 lead in the deciding game. However, a costly sequence of unforced errors, particularly at the net, completely shifted the momentum. Loh capitalised ruthlessly, winning 10 of the next 11 points to seal the match and delight the home crowd.
Prannoy had fought back strongly after losing the opening game and looked the more composed player for large periods of the contest. But as pressure mounted in the closing stages, errors crept into his game, allowing Loh to complete a remarkable comeback and advance to the quarterfinals.
While Sindhu, Lakshya and India’s doubles pairs kept the country’s hopes alive in Singapore, Prannoy was left reflecting on a missed opportunity after letting a winning position slip away.
