In the badminton competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Tuesday, two prominent Indian shuttlers, HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu, secured their spots in the men’s and women’s singles pre-quarterfinals with convincing straight-game victories.
HS Prannoy, currently ranked 7th in the world, made a strong comeback after missing the men’s team championships final due to a back injury. He displayed a clinical performance, defeating Batdavaa Munkhbat from Mongolia with a score of 21-9, 21-12 in just 25 minutes. Prannoy’s next opponent will be determined between Jordan’s Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik and Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Panarin.
Former world champion PV Sindhu also showcased her prowess with a solid performance, defeating the 21st-ranked We Chi Hsu from Chinese Taipei with a score of 21-10, 21-15. It’s worth noting that the last time Sindhu faced Hsu was at the Asia Badminton Championships in Dubai earlier this month. In her next match, Sindhu will face either Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani or Hong Kong’s Liang Ka Wing.
In the opening game, Sindhu took the lead early at 7-5 and maintained her advantage by keeping errors to a minimum and engaging in rallies, utilizing her tosses and clears. She steadily extended her lead to 15-6 and eventually secured the game. The second game proved to be a closely contested battle, with Sindhu maintaining her lead and sealing the victory comfortably.
Overall, it was an impressive performance by both Prannoy and Sindhu, advancing them further in the competition at the Asian Games.
