Asian Games 2023 badminton: PV Sindhu marches into round of 16

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu began her women’s singles badminton campaign at the Asian Games 2023 with a win over Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Wen Chi in the round of 32 in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday.

HS Prannoy, India’s top men’s singles player at the Asian Games 2023 badminton, and former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth also progressed.

PV Sindhu, who has dropped to 15th in badminton rankings this season, beat the world No. 21 Chinese Taipei shuttler 21-10, 21-15 in 42 minutes at the Binjiang Gymnasium.

The Indian badminton player has struggled with injuries since winning gold at the Commonwealth Games last year but looked unfazed in her opener.

PV Sindhu moved around the badminton court freely and used her height to dominate Hsu Wen Chi In the first game. The 28-year-old Indian badminton player built a healthy five-point lead at the break and took it from there to take the first game in 18 minutes.

The match continued at the same pace until Hsu Wen Chi began using a few drop shots to trouble PV Sindhu. 

PV Sindhu, who won silver at the 2018 Asian Games, raced to a three-point lead at the start of the second game. However, Hsu Wen Chi cut down the lead to just a point at the interval.

The two players engaged in longer rallies after the break but PV Sindhu snatched back the lead and comfortably booked her place in the round of 16 against world No. 34 Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia.

HS Prannoy, India’s top-ranked men’s singles player at world No. 7, had a relatively easier challenge against Mongolia’s world No. 311 Batdavaa Munkhbat. The Indian shuttler took just 25 minutes for a 21-9, 21-12 win.

World No. 21 Kidambi Srikanth also beat world No. 122 Yun Gyu Lee of the Republic of Korea 21-16, 21-11 in his men’s singles round of 32 match to sail into the next round.

The two Indian women’s doubles teams competing on the day also progressed.

Ashwini Ponnappa, the 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist, and her partner Tanisha Crasto moved to the round of 16 after their opponents Maisa Fathuhulla Ismail and Aishath Afnaan Rasheed of Maldives retired. The Indian duo was leading the match 21-2, 12-2 at that stage.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand got the better of Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of the Maldives by a 21-14, 21-12 scoreline.

Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for world No. 49 Ashmita Chaliha in the women’s singles. The 23-year-old Indian lost her round of 32 match 21-17, 21-16 to Indonesia’s world No. 7 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.