India’s badminton stars PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy secured their places in the knockout stages of their respective events at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday.
PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, opened the day with a dominant performance in the women’s singles. She defeated Estonia’s world No. 73, Kristin Kuuba, with a commanding 21-5, 21-10 victory. Sindhu’s win allowed her to top her group and advance to the round of 16.
“I’m very happy, and of course,” said the 29-year-old Sindhu. “It was important for me to top the group and be its number one.”
Sindhu, currently ranked world No. 13, will face the sixth-seeded He Bingjiao of China in the next round. He Bingjiao holds an 11-9 edge in their head-to-head record and won their most recent encounter at the Asian Games last year. However, Sindhu defeated the Chinese player in the Tokyo 2020 bronze medal match.
“It won’t be an easy match against He Bingjiao,” Sindhu acknowledged. “But at the same time, I hope to take this confidence forward. Every match is important, and I need to be fully prepared.”
In the men’s singles, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy both emerged victorious in their final group matches, securing top spots in their groups and setting up a clash in the round of 16.
Unseeded Lakshya Sen delivered a stunning performance by defeating third-seeded Indonesian Jonathan Christie in straight sets, 21-18, 21-12. Christie, the reigning Asian Games and All England champion, initially took an 8-2 lead, but Sen rallied to win seven consecutive points and ultimately controlled the match.
“The second game was crucial,” Sen said. “Christie made unforced errors, which helped me gain an advantage and close out the match in 50 minutes.”
Later in the day, world No. 13 HS Prannoy, the Asian Games bronze medallist, staged a comeback after losing the first game to defeat Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat, 16-21, 21-11, 21-12. This victory sets up an intriguing all-Indian clash with Lakshya Sen in the knockout stage.
In doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty confirmed their quarter-final berth with a win on Tuesday. They are set to face Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the next round.
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