Women’s singles top seed PV Sindhu and men’s singles defending champion Kidambi Srikanth both made a winning start to their respective campaigns at the $120,000 Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow on Wednesday. While Sindhu cruised to the second round with a facile 21-9, 21-11 win over Anura Prabhudesai, the third-seeded Srikanth had to work hard for his 15-21, 21-7, 21-14 victory over Lakhanee Sarang in the first round before beating Zulhelmi Zulkiffli, 21-5, 21-12 to enter the third round.
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Srikanth next takes on the 291st ranked Ansal Yadav for a place in the quarter-finals. The Rio Olympic silver medallist Sindhu, who is the biggest star remaining in women’s singles after Saina Nehwal’s pull-out, will face world no. 386 Lalita Dahiya next.
Besides Sindhu, the 20-year-old rising talent Rituparna Das too made it to round 2 of women’s singles with an easy 21-5, 21-6 win over Nepal’s Nangsal Tamang.
In men’s singles, HS Prannoy picked up from where he left at the Premier Badminton League just days back. The sixth-seeded Prannoy, who remained unbeaten at the PBL-2, prevailed over NVS Vijetha 21-11, 21-9 in the first round and followed it up with a 21-16, 21-8 victory over Bodhit Joshi.
He will meet the 15th seeded Harsheel Dani in the third round. Eighth-seeded Sameer Verma too joined Prannoy in Round 3. The Hong Kong Open runner-up won his first round when Kartik Jindal retired while trailing 1-5. In the second round, he overcame K Ajay Kumar, 21-13, 21-14.
Ninth seed B Sai Praneeth, meanwhile, progressed with a 21-14, 21-9 win over Aditya Joshi in his opener and a 21-15, 21-10 second round victory over qualifier Ashish Sharma. He has a tough task up next as he faces the fifth seed Anders Antonsen.
Sameer’s elder brother – the 11th seeded Sourabh Verma, triumphed over Rahul Yadav Chittaboina, 21-11, 21-17. In his next round, he notched up a fluent 21-6, 21-10 win over qualifier Shubham Prajapati.
Rankireddy and Shetty give scare to top seeds before losing
In men’s doubles, the teen pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty gave a tough fight to the top seeded Danes Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen and even took a game. But in the end, it was not enough as Boe and Mogensen made a comeback for a 22-24, 21-14, 21-14 win.
The third seeds Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy survived a thrilling opening round with a 15-21, 25-23, 21-14 triumph over Singaporeans Yong Kai Terry Hee and Kean Hean Loh.
In women’s doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy hardly broke a sweat and defeated fellow Indians J Anees Kowsar and Pramada Vaddepally, 21-8, 21-3. Prajakta Sawant and Aparna Balan too tasted victory. They emerged a 21-10, 21-15 winner over Pinky Karki and Yania Taring.
There were quite a few wins in mixed doubles for the top Indian shuttlers. Second seeds Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy pummelled Indonesian duo of Androw Yunanto and Debora Rumete Vehrenica, 21-7, 21-18 to enter the pre-quarter-finals.
Ashwini Ponnappa and B Sumeeth Reddy too had it easy. The seventh seeds notched up a 21-6, 21-8 win over the Indian pair of Vishal Thakran and Rachita Sahdev.
Also advancing were the eighth seeds Yogendran Krishnan and Prajakta Sawant with a tough 21-13, 17-21, 21-11 win over Kashish Sharma and Jagriti Nashier.
