P. V. Sindhu progressed to the second round of the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai on Wednesday.
Sindhu, who won bronze medal at the previous edition in 2022, beat Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Wen Chi 21-15, 22-20 to book her place in the round of 16. The eighth-seeded Indian will next face China’s Han Yue.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, Commonwealth Games bronze medal-winning women’s doubles pair, roared back from behind to defeat Indonesia’s Lanny Tria Mayasari and Ribka Sugiarto 17-21, 21-17, 21-18 in a battle lasting more than an hour.
Rohan Kapoor and Sikki Reddy also won their mixed doubles opening round match when they defeated Chan Peng Soon and Cheah Yee See of Malaysia 21-12, 21-16.
Kidambi Srikanth easily defeated Bahrain Adnan Ebrahim 21-13, 21-8 to set up a second-round clash with fourth-seeded Japanese Kodai Naraoka. However, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen bowed out with a 7-21, 21-23 loss to former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore.
Up against world number one Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, promising Malvika Bansod stretched the star player before going down 23-25, 19-21 in a 46-minute battle.
H S Prannoy won 21-14, 21-9 against Myanmar Phone Pyae Naing while men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty defeated Malaysia’s Tan Kian Meng and Tan Wee Kiong 21-14, 21-17.
(With inputs from PTI)
RESULTS (First Round)
Men’s Singles
[8] H S Prannoy bt Phone Pyae Naing (MYA) 21-14, 21-9; Kidambi Srikanth bt Adnan Ebrahim (BAH) 21-13, 21-8; [7] Loh Kean Yew (SGP) bt Lakshya Sen 21-7, 23-21
Women’s Singles
[8] P. V. Sindhu bt Hsu Wen Chi (TPE) 21-15, 22-20; [1] Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) bt Malvika Bansod 25-23, 21-19; Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi (INA) bt Aakarshi Kashyap 21-6, 21-12
Men’s Doubles
[6] Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty bt Tan Kian Meng/Tan Wee Kiong (MAY) 21-14, 21-17; [4] Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (JPN) bt Krishna Prasad Garaga/Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala 21-15, 21-17; Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tee (MAY) bt P.S. Ravikrishna/Sankar Prasad Udayakumar 21-12, 21-17; [8] Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (MAY) bt M.R. Arjun/Dhruv Kapila 12-21, 21-16, 21-12
Women’s Doubles
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand bt Lanny Tria Mayasari/Ribka Sugiarto (INA) 17-21, 21-17, 21-18;
Meilysa Trias Puspitasari/Rachel Allessya Rose (INA) bt Ashwini Bhat K./Shikha Gautam 20-22, 21-12, 21-18; Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai (THA) bt Haritha Manazhiyil H./Ashna Roy 21-11, 21-2
Mixed Doubles
Rohan Kapoor/Sikki Reddy bt Chan Peng Soon/Cheah Yee See (MAY) 21-12, 21-16