In an action-packed day at the Thailand Open 2024, Indian badminton stars experienced a mix of triumph and disappointment. The former World No. 1 men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, advanced comfortably to the second round, while top-ranked Indian singles player HS Prannoy suffered a shocking opening-round defeat.
Top seeds in the BWF Super 500 tournament, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty showed their dominance against the world No. 71 pair from Malaysia, Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong. The Indian duo needed just 34 minutes to dispatch their opponents in straight games, 21-13, 21-13. This victory is a much-needed boost for Satwik-Chirag following a subpar performance in the Thomas Cup. With the Paris Olympics 2024 looming, the pair is keen on gaining momentum and redemption at the Thailand Open.
They are set to face the Chinese pair Xie Hao Nan and Zeng Wei Han in the next round, eyeing a spot in the quarterfinals.
Surprisingly, World No. 9 HS Prannoy was ousted in the opening round by his compatriot Meiraba Maisnam. Prannoy lost in straight games 21-19, 21-18. The match, which lasted under an hour, saw Meiraba capitalize on critical moments. In the first game, tied at 18-18, Meiraba secured crucial points to take the game 21-19. Despite Prannoy closing the gap to 18-19 in the second game, Meiraba held his nerve, winning 21-18.
Meiraba, currently ranked No. 84 in the world, now advances to face Denmark’s Mads Christophersen in the round of 16.
Ashmita Chaliha delivered a spirited performance to defeat Indonesia’s Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo in a three-game thriller. Chaliha bounced back after losing the first game to win 19-21, 21-15, 21-14. Her resilience and strategic play marked a significant victory as she advances further in the tournament.
In the women’s doubles, the No. 4 seeds Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto received a bye in the first round and will face the Chinese Taipei pair Hung En-Tzu and Lin Yu-Pei next. The Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, comfortably won their all-India clash against Nikki Rapria and Nishu Rapria, securing a 21-9, 21-5 victory.
Mixed doubles pair Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath triumphed over Thailand’s Tanakorn Meechai and Fungfa Korpthammakit with a 21-17, 21-16 win. However, Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy fell to the world No. 15 pair of Rinov Rivaldy and Pitha Haningtyas Mentari, losing 21-12, 21-16.
Kiran George faced a tough challenge from Denmark’s Mads Christophersen, eventually losing in a three-game battle 15-21, 21-13, 17-21. Sathish Kumar Karunakaran also bowed out, defeated by Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan 13-21, 17-21.
In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod was overpowered by top seed Han Yue of China, losing 21-11, 21-10. Aakarshi Kashyap also faced defeat against Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan, with a score of 21-13, 21-8. Unnati Hooda battled hard but ultimately fell to Belgium’s Lianne Tan in three games, 14-21, 21-14, 21-9.
The Indian women’s doubles pair of Palak Arora and Unnati Hooda retired hurt against the Chinese duo of Keng Shu Liang and Zhang Chi, with the final score reading 21-6, 5-4 (retired).
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