Paris: PV Sindhu began her campaign with a confident Round-of-64 victory in women’s singles, while in the men’s singles, H.S. Prannoy progressed to the second round to assuage the disappointment of Lakshya Sen’s early exit at the BWF World Championship 2025 here on Tuesday.
In the afternoon, the mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde overcame an early setback to outlast a pair from Macau-China to advance to the second round.
Sindhu, the two-time Olympic medallist, gave the campaign a good start on the second day as she overcame the challenge of Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova, winning 23-21, 21-6 in just 39 minutes.
The opening game was a tight battle, with scores tied at 21-all before Sindhu closed it out with a two-point edge. The 2019 Women’s Singles champion dominated the second with a commanding 15-point margin. She will next face Malaysia’s Karupathevan Letshanaa in the Round of 32.
Sindhu, who is one of the few players in the history of the sport to have won a full set of medals in the World Championships with one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, is India’s biggest hope for a title in Paris.
The 30-year-old from Hyderabad, who won the silver medal in the Rio Olympics in 2016 and followed that up with a bronze in Tokyo 2020, will next face Malaysia’s Karupathevan Letshanaa in the Round of 32.
Prannoy, the 2023 bronze medallist, also made a strong start in men’s singles, defeating Finland’s Joakim Oldorff 21-18, 21-15 in a 47-minute battle. The experienced Indian will next face Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in the Round of 32.
Ranked 34th in the world, Prannoy faced a stern test from 22-year-old Oldorff, who is ranked 47th. The Finn raced to a 7-5 lead in the opening game with sharp movement and precise shot-making. However, Prannoy remained unflustered, levelling the score at 8-8 and gradually asserting control. By the midpoint of the game, he led 14-11, though Oldorff fought back to make it 17-all. Prannoy then struck three consecutive points to seal the first game 21-18 after 24 minutes of high-intensity rallies.
The second game saw Oldorff briefly regain momentum, levelling the score at 8-8 after trailing 4-7. Prannoy regained composure, moved ahead 11-8, and extended his lead to four points, eventually closing out the match 21-15.
In the mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde cruised through their opening Round of 64 match at the BWF World Championships 2025. The duo fought back after dropping the first game to defeat Macau China’s Leong Iok Chong and Weng Chi Ng 18-21, 21-16, 21-18 in a 47-minute battle, closing Day 2 on a positive note for India. They will next face Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei in their Round of 32 clash on Wednesday.
(IANS)
