Top 5 Indian badminton players of 2019

PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu

#4 B Sai Praneeth

B. Sai Praneeth
B. Sai Praneeth

Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth was one of the most in-form men's singles players for India in 2019. At the 2019 Swiss Open, the 27-year old finished as the runner-up after a tough fight against the world number one Shi Yuqi. But it was his journey to the finals that made him super confident in his coming tournaments.

Praneeth defeated Sameer Verma 21-14, 22-20 in the second round of the tournament, followed by an easy 21-13, 21-11 win over Lucas Corvée in the quarter-finals. In the semis, Praneeth was up against the reigning Olympic champion Chen Long. However, the Indian went past the Chinese in straight sets to win the match 21-18, 21-13.

His amazing form continued at the 2019 BWF World Championships, where he became the first Indian men's singles badminton player in 36 years to win a medal for the country. Starting as the 16th seed, Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 21-19, 21-13 in the third round.

After a win over the sixth seed, Praneeth went on to defeat the fourth seed Indonesian Jonatan Christie 24-22, 21-14. Having reached the semi-finals, a medal for the Indian was confirmed. Disappointingly, the color did not saw an upgrade as he went down to the eventual champion Kento Momota in straight sets to end his fairytale at the World Championships.

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Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee
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