It was a dominant day for Indian badminton at the Thailand Open Super 500, as the nation’s top stars delivered clinical performances to secure their spots in the quarterfinals. Led by the veteran prowess of PV Sindhu and the youthful energy of Lakshya Sen, the Indian contingent showcased why they remain a formidable force on the world stage.
Clinical Wins in Singles
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu looked in peak physical condition during her second-round encounter. Seeded sixth, Sindhu required just 28 minutes to dismantle Denmark’s Amalie Schulz. With a scoreline of 21-13, 21-15, the Indian ace utilized her superior reach and aggressive smashes to keep Schulz on the defensive throughout the match.
However, the road ahead grows significantly steeper for Sindhu. In the quarterfinals, she is set to face a massive test against the tournament’s top seed and world No. 3, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
On the men’s side, seventh seed Lakshya Sen continued his fine form with a convincing victory over China’s Zhu Xuan Chen. Sen controlled the tempo of the match from the opening serve, wrapping up a 21-12, 21-13 win in 39 minutes.
His defensive resilience and quick transitions at the net proved too much for his Chinese opponent. Sen now awaits the winner of the high-stakes clash between Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia Hao and the local favorite, second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Doubles Dominance and Hard Luck
The world no. 4 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also lived up to their top-seed billing. Facing the unseeded Malaysian duo of Bryan Jeremy Goonting and Muhammad Haikal, the Indians displayed their signature power-hitting game. While the second set saw a spirited fightback from the Malaysians, Satwik and Chirag held their nerve to win 21-12, 21-19 in 44 minutes. They will next face the sixth-seeded Japanese pair, Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami.
Unfortunately, the day wasn’t without its setbacks. Young prospect Devika Sihag, who recently clinched her maiden Super 300 title at the Thailand Masters, saw her run end in a hard-fought battle. She narrowly lost the opening set before falling 21-23, 11-21 to Thailand’s Pitchamon Opatniputh.
(INPUTS FROM PTI)
