Badminton News: Indian badminton stars HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen qualified for the second round of the World Championships in Copenhagen with victories over their respective opponents on Monday.
HS Prannoy, ranked 9th in the world, secured their place in the next round by beating Finland’s Kalle Koljonen in straight matches, 24-22, 21-10.
The win extended Prannoy’s unbeaten streak against Koljonen to 3-0.
Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lakshya Sen followed that up with a dominating performance against Georges Julien Paul of Mauritius.
Sen secured a quick 21-12, 21-7 victory in just 25 minutes, securing his passage to the second round.
Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth was knocked out in the first round, losing to 14th seeded Japanese Kenta Nishimoto 14-21, 14-21 in 47 minutes of the fight.
After picking up a bronze medal in the 2021 edition, Sen is set to face Korean Jeon Hyeok Jin in the next bout, while Prannoy is set to face Indonesian Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
In Prannoy’s match against Koljonen, the opener turned out to be a close battle, with the Finn initially leading 8-4. However, Prannoy bounced back, winning seven straight points and taking an 11-8 halftime lead.
The game continued to be a draw, with Koljonen earning three game points before Prannoy finally prevailed with a decisive smash on the pitch.
In game two, Prannoy tied the game at 6-5 before charging in quickly with a direct smash, which ultimately won the match. Koljonen struggled to deal with Prannoy’s tactics and suffered a defeat.
Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen dominated his match against Paul from the start. He took an 11-3 lead and continued his momentum throughout the game, earning back-to-back wins.
Apart from that, Indian mixed doubles pair HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen qualify for the second round of the 2023 BWF World Championships
Rohan Kapoor and N Sikki Reddy took on Scotsman Adam Hall and Julie Macpherson in a fierce 59-minute battle, with the final score 14-21, 22-20, 18-21.
Article Tags: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, BWF World Championships 2023
“Thinker. Food advocate. Incurable coffee enthusiast. Communicator. Proud student. Zombie buff. Tv fanatic. Extreme troublemaker.”
