Paris, France – Indian shuttlers had a successful day at the Badminton World Championships on Tuesday, with P.V. Sindhu, H.S. Prannoy, and the mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde all advancing to the next round with hard-fought victories.
Sindhu Overcomes First-Game Scare
P.V. Sindhu, a five-time World Championships medalist, began her campaign with a challenging 23-21, 21-6 win over Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova in the Round of 64.
The 30-year-old Indian started slowly, trailing 0-4 and entering the mid-game interval of the first set with a 7-11 deficit. However, Sindhu found her rhythm after the break, unleashing her powerful cross-court smashes to level the score at 12-12. The game remained a tight contest, with both players exchanging the lead. Nalbantova had two game points but failed to convert either, allowing Sindhu to seize the opportunity and win the opener.
The second game was a stark contrast, as Sindhu came out aggressively and dominated from the start. She quickly built a commanding lead and, with a mix of powerful smashes and deep clears, extended her advantage as Nalbantova became increasingly erratic. Sindhu sealed the contest with a fierce smash, earning her a spot in the next round against Malaysia’s Karupathevan Letshanaa.
Prannoy Sets Up Showdown with Antonsen
In the men’s singles, H.S. Prannoy secured a difficult 21-18, 21-15 victory over Finland’s Joakim Oldorff in a 47-minute battle. Both players struggled with unforced errors throughout the match, but the Indian, a bronze medalist at the 2023 World Championships, held on to advance.
The win sets up a tough second-round match for Prannoy against the second-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark, a repeat of the potential clash that was highlighted in the tournament preview.
Mixed Doubles Pair Stages Comeback
The Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde pulled off a fantastic comeback in their first-round match. After losing the first game 18-21 to Macau China’s Leong Iok Chong and NG Weng Chi, the duo rallied to win the next two games 21-16, 21-18. They will now face the fourth-seeded Malaysian pair of Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei in the next round.
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