Asian Games Badminton: HS Prannoy, PV Sindhu, Srikanth advance to r16

Indian shuttlers HS Prannoy, PV Sindhu, and Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the men's and women's singles round of 16 with straight-game wins over their respective opponents at the Asian Games 2023 on Tuesday.

World number 7 HS Prannoy, who was struggling with his back injury, returned to court and dished a clinical performance against Mongolia's Batdavaa Munkhbat 21-9, 21-12 in 25 minutes.

Prannoy had to sit out the men's team final against China but the Indian shuttler will now face Dimity Panarin of Kazakhstan.

In the women's singles, former World Champion PV Sindhu prevailed over a tricky opponent Wen Chi Hsu of Chinese Taipei. Sindhu defeated world number 21 Wen 21-10 21-15.

Sindhu started with a lead of 7-5 in the opening game. Sindhu looked error-free and used her smashes well. Sindhu raced to a lead of 15-6 in the first game and didn't waste much in closing the first game at 21-10.

The second game was a tight affair as Wen started challenging Sindhu with her winners. Sindhu got her length right early and tried to pin her opponent at the back court taking a lead of 8-7.

Wen kept fighting back in the second game but Sindhu sealed the match with a backhand winner. She will play Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in the next round.

In another men's singles tie, Kidambi Srikanth comfortably defeated Lee Yungyu of Korea. The former world number 1 Srikanth won the match 21-16, 21-11 putting in a clinical performance.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated AN Razzaq/FN Razzaq of Maldives 21-14, 21-12 in an easy for them. Another women's doubles pair Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponappa won their encounter against Maisa Ismail and Afnaan Rasheed of Maldives as the pair retired due to injury concerns.

In women's singles, Ashmita Chaliha ended her Asian Games campaign after losing to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia 17-21, 16-21.