Sindhu Shines, Prannoy and Srikant Falter at All England Championships

The All England Championships witnessed mixed fortunes for the Indian contingent on Tuesday. While PV Sindhu cruised into the second round, both HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth suffered opening-round exits.

Sindhu on Course, Nemesis Awaits?

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu began her campaign on a positive note. The former World Champion dominated the first game against German opponent Li Yvonne Li (21-10). However, Li retired due to undisclosed reasons, allowing Sindhu a smooth passage to the next round.

Sindhu’s next opponent is likely to be her nemesis, Korean top seed An Se Young. Se Young boasts a perfect record against Sindhu, having won all six of their previous encounters.

Disappointing Day for Indian Men’s Singles at All England Championships

It was a forgettable day for the Indian men’s singles players. World No. 8 HS Prannoy squandered a promising start against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang. Prannoy took the first game comfortably (21-14) but faltered in the subsequent games, losing 13-21, 13-21. This marks Prannoy’s second consecutive first-round exit after the French Open last week.

Former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth also faced a disappointing defeat. He was comprehensively outplayed by World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen, losing by a score of 9-21, 9-21. With this loss, Lakshya Sen and Priyanshu Rajawat remain the only Indian contenders in the men’s singles competition.

Other Results: Aakarshi Kashyap Loses, Women’s Doubles Match Up Later

Aakarshi Kashyap bowed out of the tournament in the women’s singles first round of the All England Championships. She lost to Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei (16-21, 11-21). However, there’s still hope in the women’s doubles category. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will be in action later today against the Indonesian pair of Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.