Singapore: India’s HS Prannoy upset World No. 5 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 10-21, 21-12, 21-18 in a 61-minute battle on Day 2 of the Singapore Open at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the next round following a 21-14, 20-22, 21-13 victory over Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien.
Former World No. 6 Prannoy made a strong comeback after dropping the opening game. Despite Christie holding a 7-3 advantage in their previous meetings, the Indian took control of the second game from 2-all and never allowed the Indonesian to outplay him, comfortably closing it 21-12.
The decider turned into a tense contest. While Jonatan held the advantage through the early exchanges, momentum shifted towards Prannoy in the closing stages. Trailing 16-18, the Indians scored five consecutive points to seal the victory 21-18. Prannoy will next face Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the Round of 16, who defeated India’s Kidambi Srikanth 22-20, 19-21, 21-17.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv and Tanisha secured the opening game before the Malaysians forced the match into a decider. The Indian pair responded strongly, taking control from 7-6 in the final game to seal a 21-13 win in 58 minutes.
In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod went down fighting against Lin Hsiang Ti 21-11, 19-21, 12-21.
On Tuesday, Indian seniors PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty started their Singapore Open campaign on a positive note, advancing to the next round after defeating their respective opponents.
Sindhu overcame Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17, 21-18 in women’s singles, while Satwik-Chirag defeated Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 26-28, 21-15, 21-13 in men’s doubles.
Sindhu, champion of the 2022 edition, defeated the fifth-seeded Indonesian in straight games to level their head-to-head record at 3-3. The Indian had early control in the opening game with a four-point advantage. Although she faced a brief setback, Sindhu quickly recovered to draw level at 16-all before winning five consecutive points to secure the first game.
The second game witnessed an intense battle for every point, with Sindhu taking the lead at crucial moments before sealing the match in straight games. She will next face Japan’s Riko Gunji in the pre-quarterfinals.
In men’s doubles, World No. 4 Satwik-Chirag dropped the opening game despite saving seven game points in a tightly contested battle. The Indian duo responded strongly to force a decider and then dominated the third game, closing it out 21-13 after one hour and 15 minutes of play. Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan await them in the Round of 16.
In men’s singles, Ayush Shetty put up a strong fight against Victor Lai. After taking the opening game comfortably 21-11, the Indians could not maintain the same intensity and eventually went down 14-21, 12-21 in the following games. Other Indian contingents in action on day 1 lost to their respective opponents.
(IANS)
