Picture Credit: Twitter
The first round of the Singapore Open 2022 had mixed results for the Indian contingent as ace shuttler PV Sindhu progressed to the next round while Kidambi Srikanth bowed out after a shocking defeat. Veteran shuttler Saina Nehwal also made it to the second round after a win over compatriot Malvika Bansod. In-form HS Prannoy continued his good run and also progressed to the next round.
Sindhu looked in complete control as she prevailed 21-15, 21-11 over Belgium world No. 36 Lianne Tan to set up a clash with Vietnam's Thuy Linh Nguyen. Prannoy, who had reached the semifinals at Malaysia Masters last week, saw off Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin 21-13, 21-16 and will next meet third-seeded Chou Tien Chen, whom he had beaten at Malaysia Open recently.
Meanwhile, it was curtains down for Kidambi Srikanth who lost to compatriot Mithun Manjunath. Seventh-seed and World championships silver medallist Srikanth lost to Manjunath 17-21, 21-15, 18-21 in 60 minutes. Unseeded Manjunath, a product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, stunned Srikanth to progress to the next round. He will face Irish shuttler, Nhat Nguyen in the second-round match.
Apart from Manjunath, Ashmitha Chaliha also recorded a stunning victory against World No.12 and seventh-seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the women’s singles match. Chaliha defeated Ongbamrungphan in straight sets of 21-16, 21-11. She will next face China's Han Yue. Malvika Bansod, another young sensation from India, could not repeat her heroics against Saina Nehwal as she lost to London Olympics bronze medallist 18-21, 14-21.
Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap and world No. 29 Sameer Verma also lost their respective men’s singles matches. While Kashyap was no match for fifth seed Indonesian Jonatan Christie, losing 14-21, 15-21, Li Shi Feng of China ended Sameer Verma's campaign with a 21-10, 21-13 win in another lop-sided men's singles match.
Among others, Pooja Dandu and Arathi Sara Sunil moved into the women's doubles second round after the Chinese Taipei duo of Hu Ling Fang and Lin Xiao Min withdrew from the tournament.
Singapore Open 2022 First-round match results for Indian shuttlers
PV Sindhu won 21-15, 21-11 against Belgium world No. 36 Lianne Tan
HS Prannoy won 21-13, 21-16 against Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin
Kidambi Srikanth lost 17-21, 21-15, 18-21 to compatriot Mithun Manjunath
P Kashyap lost 14-21, 15-21 to Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie
Saina Nehwal won 21-18, 21-14 against compatriot Malvika Bansod
Sameer Verma lost 10-21, 13-21 to Li Shi Feng of China
Ashmita Chaliha won 21-16, 21-11 against Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan
Pooja Dandu/Arathi Sara Sunil got walkover from Chinese Taipei duo of Hu Ling Fang and Lin Xiao Min
HV Nithin/S Ram Poorvisha won 21-15, 21-14 against Israel’s Misha Zilberman/Svetlana Zilberman
Shyam Prasad/S Sunjith lost 12-21, 10-21 against Malaysia’s V Shem Goh/Juan Shen Low
Krishna Prasad/Vishnuuvardhan Goud lost 15-21, 21-19, 17-21 against Singapore’s Yong Kai Terry/Loh Ken Hean
MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila won 21-19, 21-9 against Germany’s Jan Colin Voelker/Jones Ralfy Jansen
Meghna Morchana/Leela Lakshmi lost 8-21, 2-21 against Sayaka Hobara/Hinata Suzuki
PS Ravikrishna/Sankar Prasad Udaykumar lost 17-21, 23-25 to Xiang Yu Ren/Qiang Ten
Simran Singh/Ritika Thaker lost 7-21, 18-21 against Jongkolphan Kitittharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai