NEW DELHI: PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen advanced to the next round in their respective singles categories, while doubles partners Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a challenging victory in their first appearance since the Paris Olympics at the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament in Shenzhen on Wednesday.
Malvika Bansodcurrently ranked 36th globally, achieved an impressive upset by defeating Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt, ranked 21st worldwide, with scores of 20-22, 23-21, 21-16.
Sindhu, ranked 19th globally and holding two Olympic medals, overcame Busanan Ongbamrungphan in 50 minutes with scores of 21-17, 21-19, marking her 20th victory in 21 encounters against the Thai player.
The 29-year-old Hyderabad athlete will face Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min next, while Malvika’s upcoming opponent is eighth-seed Supanida Katethong.
Following their Olympic break, defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan from Chinese Taipei in a demanding 66-minute match, scoring 12-21, 21-19, 21-18.
The Asian Games gold medallists will compete against Danish duo Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Soggard in the pre-quarterfinals.
The Indian pair took a break post-Olympics as Satwik required extended recovery time from an injury.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand progressed to the second round in women’s doubles, defeating Hu Ling Fang and Jheng Yu Chieh from Chinese Taipei 21-15, 21-14, strengthening their position for the BWF World Tour Finals.
The Indian pair, ranked 18th globally and currently eighth in BWF World Tour rankings, will face Chinese second seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning next.
“It will be great if we qualify, we are just trying to give our best and enjoy every game, really looking forward to the world tour final,” Gayatri said after the match.
The top eight pairs will qualify for the prestigious tournament scheduled in Hangzhou, China from December 11 to 15.
Lakshya secured revenge for his Olympic bronze-medal defeat by overcoming seventh-seeded Lee Zii Jia from Malaysia 21-14, 13-21, 21-13 in 57 minutes. His next opponent will be either Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke or Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto.
This victory provided consolation for Lakshya, who had previously lost to Lee in the Paris Olympics bronze-medal match despite having an advantageous position.
