Kuala Lumpur: Top male singles player H.S Prannoy, doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, women’s singles star Malvika Bansod, mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto and Sathish Karunakaran/Aadya Variyath advanced to the next round in the Malaysia Open 2025, the season’s first BWF World Tour Super 1000 event.
But there were some setbacks too as youngster Akarshi Kashyap, experienced women’s doubles pair Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, World No. 38 pair Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda and Anupama Upadhyaya lost their first-round matches in the event.
Prannoy overcame Canada’s Brian Yang in a three-game encounter held over from Tuesday when many matches were rescheduled because of a leaking stadium roof.
Prannoy, who had won the first game and trailing 11-9 in the second, eventually won 21-19, 17-21, 21-13 in a hard-fought one-hour-and-20-minutes clash on Wednesday. This is Prannoy’s first match after recovering from the chikungunya virus that resulted in him being hospitalised a few months back.
Meanwhile, the event witnessed some strong performances by Indian shuttlers. Malvika Bansod advanced to the Round of 16 in the Women’s Singles category, showcasing her determination and skill. She defeated Jin Wei Goh of Malaysia 21-15, 21-16 in a 45-minute encounter on Court 1 at the Stadium Axiata Arena in the Malaysian capital.
In men’s doubles, Asian Games gold medallists pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won their match to reach the Round of 16. Seeded seventh, the Indian pair defeated Ming Che Lu and Tant Kei Wei of Chinese Taipei in three games, winning 21-10, 16-21, 21-5 in just under an hour.
In the mixed doubles category, the pairs of Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto and Sathish Karunakaran/Aadya Variyath have progressed to the Second Round, adding to India’s success in the tournament so far.
(IANS)
