Australian Open 2023: Indian badminton players made a strong start at the Australian Open 2023, with several of them advancing to the second round.
PV Sindhu, the reigning world champion, was in fine form as she defeated compatriot Ashmita Chaliha in straight sets. Sindhu, who is seeded third in the tournament, will next face the winner of the match between Aakarshi Kashyap and Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.
In the men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy also won their respective first-round matches. Srikanth, the former world number one, defeated Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in straight sets. Prannoy, meanwhile, came back from a set down to beat Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong.
Both Srikanth and Prannoy are seeded in the top 10 of the world rankings, and they will be hoping to make deep runs in the tournament.
Other Indian players who advanced to the second round include Priyanshu Rajawat, Mithun Manjunath, and Tasnim Mir. Rajawat defeated Nathan Tang of Australia in straight sets, while Manjunath beat Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in a three-set thriller. Mir, however, was defeated by Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi of Indonesia in straight sets.
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PV Sindhu, the two-time Olympic medalist, is the top Indian seed in the women’s singles draw. She has been in good form this year, reaching the finals of the India Open and the semifinals of the All England Open. Sindhu will be looking to go one step further and win her first title of the year in Sydney.
Lakshya Sen is another Indian player to watch in the men’s singles draw. He is currently ranked world No. 9, and he has been in excellent form in recent months. Sen reached the semifinals of the Indonesia Open and the final of the Canada Open, and he will be hoping to challenge for the title in Sydney.
HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth are also two other Indian players to look out for in the men’s singles draw. Prannoy is currently ranked world No. 19, and he has been in good form this year, reaching the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open and the semifinals of the Japan Open. Srikanth is currently ranked world No. 22, and he has been steadily improving in recent months.
The second round of the Australian Open 2023 will be played on Thursday and Friday.
Overall, it was a good start for Indian players at the Australian Open 2023. Several of them have the potential to make deep runs in the tournament, and they will be hoping to improve their rankings and earn valuable points for the Paris Olympics.