Impressive day for the Indians in Spain

PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty played some impressive badminton and made it through to the third round at the BWF World Championships.

Lakshya Sen was the first of the Indian men’s singles player to take the court yesterday against the fifteenth seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan. Lakshya slogged for an hour and twenty two minutes to the experienced Japanese shuttler, winning the match 22-20, 15-21, 21-18.

Satwik/Chirag were up next Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan of Taipei. The unseeded Taipei pair threatened the Indians in the first game but the eight seeds took control of the match and thumped the opponents 27-25, 21-17 in under 45minutes.

The reigning world champions PV Sindhu is the only Indian women’s singles players in the draw was up against Slovakia’s Martina Repiska. The double olympic medalist thumped the world no.72, 21-7, 21-9 to move to the third round. The sixth seeded Indian plays ninth seeded Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.

Second of the men’s singles match was between twelfth seeded Kidambi Srikanth against unseeded Li Shi Feng of China. The former world no.1 who is trying to rediscovered his brilliant past was tested again by the Chinese youngster.

Li took the first game 21-15 as Srikanth struggled to read his opponent. But the Indian fast found his touch as he pulled back second and the third game 18-21, 17-21. It was a hard fought win for Kidambi Srikanth.

Srikanth next plays LU Guang Zu of China.

With Viktor Axelsen knocked out and Kento Momota withdrawing from the tournament the men’s singles draw is wide open. Srikanth’s on-off relationship with the form a swing of fortune can help this dark horse walkaway with the season-ending title.