India started off their campaign on a rousing note at the Swiss Open 2022 badminton tournament as top shuttlers PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth registered wins in their respective singles encounters on Wednesday. (More Badminton News)
The men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy stunned All England Open champions Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana to progress in the next round. Sindhu, who was the penultimate Indian to compete on the day defeated Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-14, 21-12.
Sindhu, an Olympic double medallist, will next face Neslihan Yigit of China in the women's singles. Ashmita Chaliha scripted a come-from-behind win over France's LéOnice Huet, prevailing 19-21, 21-10, 21-11. Chaliha faces eighth-seed Kirsty Gilmour next.
Later in the day, London Olympics bronze medallist Saina outplayed Yaelle Hoyaux 21-8, 21-13 in her opening round fixture. Nehwal will play Indian-origin American Kisona Selvaduray in her next round, However, it was curtains for youngsters Aakarshi Kashyap and Malvika Bansod.
Bansod and Kashyap lost to Qi Xuefei of France and Yvonne Li Of Germany respectively. Seventh seed Kidambi Srikanth defeated Mads Christophersen in straight games in the men's singles opening round. The Indian beat the Danish player 21-16, 21-17 in a match lasting 32 minutes.
Srikanth will next play Christo Popov of France. Parupalli Kashyap too cruised to a 21-17, 21-9 win over France's Enogat Roy to enter the second round. He is facing world No.1, Viktor Axelsen, next. In an all-India contest, HS Prannoy pipped B Sai Praneeth 25-23, 21-16 in a tight match lasting 48 minutes.
Prannoy faces Kalle Koljonen’s Finnish challenge next. Third seeds Shetty and Rankireddy lost the opening round against the Indonesian pair but came back in the next rounds to win 17-21, 21-11, 21-18.
The mixed doubles duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sumeeth Reddy lost their first-round match and so did the women's doubles combine of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
The Chinese badminton team pulled out of the Super 300 tournament which began on Tuesday due to multiple COVID-19 cases and injuries to its players
