P V Sindhu & Satwik-Chirag begin Singapore Open with wins
New Delhi, May 26
Indian seniors PV Sindhu and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty started their Singapore Open campaign on a positive note, advancing to the next round after defeating their respective opponents at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.
Sindhu overcame Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17, 21-18 in women's singles, while Satwik-Chirag defeated Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 26-28, 21-15, 21-13 in men's doubles, according to a press release.
Sindhu, champion of the 2022 edition, defeated the fifth-seeded Indonesian in straight games to level their head-to-head record at 3-3. The Indian had early control in the opening game with a four-point advantage. Although she faced a brief setback, Sindhu quickly recovered to draw level at 16-all before winning five consecutive points to secure the first game.
The second game witnessed an intense battle for every point, with Sindhu taking the lead at crucial moments before sealing the match in straight games. She will next face Japan's Riko Gunji in the pre-quarterfinals.
In men's doubles, World No. 4 Satwik-Chirag dropped the opening game despite saving seven game points in a tightly contested battle. The Indian duo responded strongly to force a decider and then dominated the third game, closing it out 21-13 after one hour and 15 minutes of play. Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan await them in the Round of 16.
In men's singles, Ayush Shetty put up a strong fight against Victor Lai. After taking the opening game comfortably 21-11, the Indian could not maintain the same intensity and eventually went down 14-21, 12-21 in the following games. Other Indian contingents in action on day 1 lost to their respective opponents.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Slightly worried about Sindhu's consistency though. She won 5 straight points to close first game, which is great, but second game was too close for comfort against an opponent she should dominate. Hope she steps up against Japanese player next round!
Satwik-Chirag are absolute warriors! Saving 7 game points and still losing the first game would demoralise most pairs, but they came back like champions. That third game was pure domination - 21-13 says it all. Lee/Yang should be worried 😎
Ayush Shetty's case is interesting - won first game 21-11 then collapsed. Classic case of Indian players lacking mental endurance in longer matches. We produce great talent but need better sports psychology support. Otherwise, good day overall for India 🇮🇳
Really proud of how our players are performing internationally! Sindhu leveling head-to-head with Wardani and Satwik-Chirag showing why they're world No. 4. The way they turned around that match after losing first game shows real character 💪
As someone who follows badminton closely, I think Sindhu needs to work on closing out matches faster. She had multiple leads in second game but let Wardani back in. Still, a win is a win and she'll only get sharper as tournament progresses. Good signs!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.