Indonesia Open badminton: India’s PV Sindhu cruises into quarter-finals
PV Sindhu defeated Yvonne Li in straight games in her round of 16 match. In the men’s, B Sai Praneeth also made the quarters while Kidambi Srikanth was knocked out.
India’s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu entered the quarter-finals of the women’s singles at the Indonesia Open 2021 in Bali on Thursday with a comfortable 21-12, 21-18 victory over German shuttler Yvonne Li.
After a tough opening encounter against Japanese shuttler Aya Ohori in her opening clash, PV Sindhu, the reigning world champion, had little trouble dispatching Yvonne Li in her second-round match.
The world No. 7 Indian was firmly in control in the first game and seven consecutive points around the midway point helped PV Sindhu take the lead.
The second game proved to be a closer affair, but PV Sindhu stayed on top of her German opponent throughout, before wrapping up the match in straight games within 37 minutes.
In the quarter-finals, PV Sindhu will face South Korean shuttler Sim Yujin, who defeated Spain’s Beatriz Corrales in the round of 16.
B Sai Praneeth in quarters, Kidambi Srikanth bows out
In the men’s singles, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth was knocked out by Tokyo Olympic champion and second seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark. The Indian lost 21-14, 21-18.
Axelsen’s quarter-final opponent will also be Srikanth’s Indian contemporary B Sai Praneeth, who sealed his last eight spot with a 21-17, 14-21, 21-19 win over Frenchman Christo Popov.
India’s men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, meanwhile, began their campaign with a 21-15, 19-21, 23-21 win over South Korea’s Kang Minhyuk and Seo Seungjae in the second round.
Chirag and Satwik got a walkover in their round 1 match.