Changzhou, July 23: In an exciting turn of events at the China Open, top Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, and Ayush Shetty advanced to the second round. Lakshya secured a hard-fought victory against Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, winning 22-20, 15-21, 21-14. Meanwhile, Sindhu overcame her compatriot Unnati Hooda with a score of 21-14, 9-21, 21-10.
Ayush delivered a stunning performance against Indonesia’s world number 11, Alvi Farhan, clinching the match 21-17, 5-21, 21-17 to secure his place in the ‘Final 16’. All three players showcased their skills by winning their respective matches in the decisive games.
Sindhu’s match against Unnati was particularly intense, lasting 56 minutes. This victory comes shortly after her title win at the Japan Open. In the next round, she will face China’s fourth seed and former Olympic champion, Chen Yufei.
Ayush Shetty had a memorable day, defeating former world junior champion Alvi Farhan. This win was especially sweet for Ayush, as he had previously lost to Farhan in the semifinals of the 2023 World Junior Championships.
After winning the first game with disciplined and aggressive play, Ayush faced pressure as Farhan dominated the second game. However, he made a remarkable comeback in the final game, displaying composure and securing one of the best victories of his senior career.
Unfortunately, the day was disappointing for India’s doubles events. The mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Rutvika Shivani Gadde fell to top seeds Yan Jie Feng and Dong Ping Huang in straight games, 21-9, 21-16. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Krasto also lost to China’s Xin Wa Guo and Fang Hui Chen, exiting with scores of 18-21, 18-21. In men’s doubles, M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amashkarunan were defeated by fourth seeds Wei Kang Liang and Chang Wang, 21-16, 21-7, ending India’s challenge in this category.
Leave a Comment