May 29th 2024.
The Singapore Open Super 750 Badminton Tournament was bustling with excitement as top players from around the world showcased their skills on Wednesday. Among them were India's very own PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy, who both advanced to the second round with impressive performances. However, it was a bittersweet day for the Indian contingent as Lakshya Sen put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell to world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen.
Sindhu, who had last won a BWF title in Singapore two years ago, had high hopes coming into the tournament after finishing as the runner-up at the Thailand Open last week. She kicked off her campaign with a dominant victory over Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in a 44-minute match. The win set up a much-anticipated clash between Sindhu and Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain, who has a strong 11-5 record against the Indian. The last time the two met, their fiery rivalry resulted in a heated match that saw both players receiving yellow cards for their verbal exchanges.
Meanwhile, Prannoy faced off against Belgium's Julien Carraggi in a close match that went to three sets. Ultimately, Prannoy's determination and skill prevailed as he secured a spot in the next round where he will face Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also got off to a strong start with a convincing win in the women's doubles category.
However, it was a disappointing outcome for Lakshya Sen, who will be making his Olympic debut at the Paris Games. He put up a tough fight against Axelsen but was unable to maintain his momentum after the change of ends in the decider. Kidambi Srikanth, who was also in action on Wednesday, was forced to retire due to a knee injury in his match against Japan's Kodai Naraoka. Other results from the day included losses for mixed doubles pair B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy, as well as men's doubles pair Krishna Prasad Garage and Sai Pratheek K.
One of the most highly anticipated matches of the day was between Sindhu and Line, who had faced each other three times before with Sindhu emerging victorious each time. This time, things started off evenly as the two were neck and neck at 8-8 before Sindhu pulled ahead with a two-point lead at the break. With some quick points and unforced errors from Line, Sindhu dominated the first game and took it with ease.
In the second game, Sindhu continued her dominance and opened up a 5-1 lead. However, Line made a strong comeback and brought the score to 14-14, putting Sindhu in a tough spot. But the Indian shuttler dug deep and won six straight points to secure her spot in the next round.
It was an action-packed day at the Singapore Open Super 750 Badminton Tournament with some thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes. The tournament promises to bring more excitement in the coming days as the top players continue to battle it out for the coveted title.
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