Badminton
Singapore Open 2022: Sindhu, Saina, Prannoy & Dhruv/Arjun storm into quarterfinals
A majestic day for Indian badminton fans as Sindhu, Saina, Prannoy and Dhruv/Arjun recorded some great victories to make it to the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open BWF Super 500.
HS Prannoy (Source: Badminton Association of India)
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and in-form HS Prannoy stormed into yet another quarterfinals after registering fighting wins at the Singapore Open Super 500 badminton tournament on Thursday. Joining Sindhu and Prannoy in the league was also former World No. 1 Saina Nehwal who stormed into her first quarter-final in 15 months and the men's doubles duo of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila.
Third seed Sindhu staved off a spirited challenge from Vietnam's world number 59 Thuy Linh Nguyen 19-21 21-19 21-18 in the women's singles competition to set up a clash with China's Han Yue.
Prannoy, ranked world number 19, notched up his second win in three weeks over world number four and third seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 14-21 22-20 21-18 in an hour and nine-minute contest.
The 29-year-old Indian, who is looking to break his five-year-old title run, will face Japan's Kodai Naraoka next.
Meanwhile, Saina Nehwal was top-notch against Sindhu's opponent from the Tokyo bronze medal match, World No. 9 Chinese player He Bing Jiao and recorded her second career win over the shuttler, winning 21-19, 11-21, 21-17 to make it to her first quarterfinals since the Orleans Masters in March 2021.
On the other hand, the men's doubles duo of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila played a sensational match against the sixth-seeded Malaysian duo of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin, saved match points and won, 18-21, 24-22, 21-18 to enter the quarterfinals as well.
A day after notching up an upset win over compatriot Kidambi Srikanth, Mithun Manjunath's run ended with a fighting 10-21 21-18 16-21 loss to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen.
Ashmita Chaliha, who had defeated Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan, also couldn't proceed further in the tournament, losing 9-21 13-21 to Han Yue of China.
However, it was also the end of the road for the women's doubles pair of Pooja Dandu/Arathi Sunil who lost to sixth-seeds Du Hue/Li Wen Mei, 21-12, 21-6 and in Mixed Doubles Nithin HV/Poorvisha S Ram also lost to sixth-seeds Mark Lamsfuss/Isabel Lohau, 21-14, 21-13.
