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Srikanth, Malvika Exit India Open; Prannoy, Satwik-Chirag Advance

Former champion Kidambi Srikanth suffered a second-round exit at the BWF India Open, losing a hard-fought three-game match to France's Christo Popov. India's campaign in women's singles concluded as Malvika Bansod was defeated in straight games by China's Han Yue. On a positive note, HS Prannoy won his first-round match, and the top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty progressed via walkover. However, all three Indian mixed doubles pairs were eliminated in their opening rounds.

Key Points: India Open: Srikanth, Malvika Bansod Ousted in Second Round

  • Srikanth loses 3-game match to Christo Popov
  • Malvika Bansod's exit ends women's singles run
  • HS Prannoy advances to second round
  • Satwik-Chirag get walkover into round 2
3 min read

BWF India Open: Srikanth bows out in second round; Malvika's loss ends India's women's singles run

Kidambi Srikanth loses a three-game thriller to France's Popov. Malvika Bansod's defeat ends India's women's singles run at the BWF India Open.

BWF India Open: Srikanth bows out in second round; Malvika's loss ends India's women's singles run
"The Frenchman raised his level in the deciding game, proved the steadier of the two in the closing stages. - Report"

New Delhi, Jan 15

Former champion Kidambi Srikanth bowed out of the BWF India Open after going down to Frenchman Christo Popov in the round of 16 here on Thursday.

Former world No. 1 and 2021 World Championships silver medallist, Srikanth suffered a 14-21, 21-17, 17-21 loss against Popov in a contest that lasted over an hour here at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex.

Srikanth dropped the opening game 14-21, but the Indian shuttler showed strong character to stage a comeback in the second. Playing with control, he clinched the game 21-17 to push the contest into a decider. However, the Frenchman raised his level in the deciding game, proved the steadier of the two in the closing stages, and sealed the match by wrapping up the third game 21-17.

This was Srikanth's first loss to Popov in the pair's third career meeting. Last December, Popov became the first French shuttler to win the World Tour Finals 2025 when he toppled world champion Shi Yu Qi in the final.

On Wednesday, Srikanth, who last played a Super 750 event in Singapore in May 2025, found his way back after an indifferent opening game to defeat compatriot Tharun Mannepalli 15-21, 21-6, 21-19 to march into the second round of the tournament.

Meanwhile, India's campaign in the women's singles ended after Malvika Bansod suffered a straight-game defeat, 18-21, 15-21, at the hands of Chinese shuttler Han Yue.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was eliminated after losing her opening round match 20-22, 21-12, 21-15 to Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh on Wednesday. In contrast, Malvika Bansod kept India's hopes alive in the women's singles with a 21-18, 21-19 victory over Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu-po, although she ultimately succumbed in the second round.

Earlier on Wednesday, HS Prannoy, a bronze medallist at the World Championships, won his first-round encounter against Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong, China, with a score of 22-20, 21-18, in a match lasting 41 minutes.

Meanwhile, India's top men's doubles duo, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, progressed to the second round after receiving a walkover against Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith of the USA.

Elsewhere, all three Indian mixed doubles duos lost their respective first-round matches on Wednesday. Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh lost 21-15, 21-7 against Japan's Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde were beaten 21-19, 21-14 by Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen of Germany.

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also fell 21-15, 21-14 against Thailand's Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So disappointing that the women's singles run is over already. Sindhu's early exit was a big shock. Malvika tried her best against a top Chinese player. We need to build a stronger bench behind Sindhu.
R
Rohit P
Srikanth's form has been up and down for years. With all due respect to a former champion, maybe it's time to give more chances to younger players like Tharun Mannepalli who showed fight in the first round.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the US. Popov is a rising star in Europe, so this wasn't an easy match. Hoping Prannoy and the doubles teams can go deep. Satwik-Chirag are so much fun to watch!
K
Karthik V
The mixed doubles results are worrying. Lost all three matches, and not even close. The gap is huge. BAI needs to invest more in developing pairs in this category, not just men's doubles.
M
Michael C
The article says Srikanth last played a Super 750 in May 2025? That's a long gap at the top level. Match fitness and rhythm are crucial. Hopefully he gets more tournaments under his belt soon.

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