India Open: Prannoy Advances, Satwik-Chirag Dominates

HS Prannoy secured a hard-fought victory over compatriot Priyanshu Rajawat to advance to the men's singles quarterfinals, at the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament. Prannoy faced stiff competition, with Rajawat displaying delectable drops and half-smashes. Despite a twist in Rajawat's ankle during the second game, Prannoy emerged victorious with a 20-22, 21-14, 21-14 triumph in a 76-minute clash.

World No. 2 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, fresh from a runner-up finish at the Malaysia Open, demonstrated their dominance in men's doubles. They secured a commanding 21-14, 21-15 win against Chinese Taipei's Lu Ching yao and Yang Po Han, securing their spot in the quarterfinals. Their next challenge awaits in Denmark's fifth seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

Prannoy, ranked World No. 9, is set to face the winner of an all-Chinese Taipei match between Wang Tzu Wei and Su Li Yang in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Satwik and Chirag are gearing up for a face-off against Denmark's formidable duo.

The day also witnessed some unexpected upsets, with world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn, two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi, and reigning All England champion Li Shi Feng bowing out of the tournament. Vitidsarn faced a tough battle against Yiu, ending in a dramatic 21-16, 20-22, 21-23 defeat.

As the competition intensifies at the India Open, top seeds in women's singles, including An Se Young and Tai Tzu Ying, along with men's seeds like Shi Yuqi and Lee Zii Jia, progressed to the next rounds, promising more high-stakes badminton action in the coming days.