India’s top badminton player HS Prannoy, who has qualified for the Paris Olympics, began his campaign in the Australian Open Super 500 Badminton Tournament with a victory. Fifth-seeded Prannoy defeated Brazil’s Ygor Coelho 21-10, 23-21, and will face Israel’s Misha Zilberman in the next round.
Other Indian shuttlers who have advanced to the last 16 include Akarshi Kashyap, Malvika Bansod, Anupama Upadhyay, Sameer Verma, and Kiran George. Akarshi defeated Ukraine’s Polina Buharova 21-14, 21-11, while Malvika overcame her partner 21-10, 21-8.
Anupama Upadhyay beat Malaysia’s Wang Ling Ching 21-14, 23-21, Kiran George triumphed over Canada’s Xiao Dong Sheng 21-17, 21-10, and Sameer Verma secured a win against Australia’s Ricky Tang 21-10, 21-16.
In mixed doubles, the husband-wife duo of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy defeated Malaysia’s Wang Tien See and Lim Chew Hsien 21-17, 21-19. Despite a valiant effort, India’s Imad Farooqui Samia narrowly lost to third-seeded Pai Yu Po of Taiwan, 23-21, 13-21, 22-24.
