India continued its dominant start at the USD 475,000 Australian Open Super 500 in Sydney, with Lakshya Sen joining H.S. Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Ayush Shetty and Tharun Mannepalli in the round of 16 after a commanding opening-round display.
H.S. Prannoy, the 2023 runner-up, launched India’s campaign in style by overturning a shaky start to defeat world No. 85 Yohanes Saut Marcellyno 6-21, 21-12, 21-17. The Asian Games and World Championships bronze-medallist next faces Indonesia’s eighth seed Alwi Farhan.
Srikanth Stuns World No. 20
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth rediscovered some of his trademark flair, outlasting Chinese Taipei’s world No. 20 Lee Chia-hao 21-19, 19-21, 21-15 in a riveting contest lasting over an hour.
Lakshya Sen Eases Through
Paris 2024 semi-finalist Lakshya Sen, ranked world No. 14 and seeded seventh, delivered a crisp and composed performance to defeat Chinese Taipei’s world No. 40 Su Li-yang 21-17, 21-13 in just 43 minutes. Sen looked in complete control throughout as he booked his spot in the last 16.
Ayush Shetty Dominant; Mannepalli Battles Through
Rising star Ayush Shetty breezed into the pre-quarterfinals with a clinical 21-11, 21-15 win over Canada’s Sam Yuan. The US Open champion and world No. 32 will now take on Japanese star Kodai Naraoka.
Tharun Mannepalli, meanwhile, fought tooth and nail to overcome Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen 21-13, 17-21, 21-19 in a tight 66-minute contest. The 2023 National Games gold medallist now faces fifth seed Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei.
Kiran George Falls After Brave Fight
Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto handed India its only loss of the day in men’s singles, edging out Kiran George 11-21, 24-22, 21-17 after a tense hour-long duel.
Doubles: Satwik–Chirag Carry India’s Hopes
India’s doubles challenge has thinned, with Mohit and Lakshita Jaglan exiting the mixed event and Treesa Jolly–Gayatri Gopichand bowing out earlier in women’s doubles.
This leaves world No. 3 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as India’s lone doubles representatives. SatChi, who won their opener on Tuesday, will next face Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching-heng and Wu Guan-Xun for a place in the quarterfinals.
Discussion about this post