Badminton: India

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Indian badminton players at the Worlds as on August 16, 2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

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History

Records

The fastest hit by a male player

July 19, 2023: The Times of India

Soka (Japan) : Star India shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy has set the Guinness world record for the fastest hit by a male player in badminton, recording a mindboggling 565 kmph with his smash.


Satwik, who along with his doubles partner Chirag Shetty won the Indonesia Open Super 1000 recently, broke a decadelong record set in May 2013 by Malaysian Tan Boon Heong, who had produced a speed of 493 kmph with his smash.


Malaysia’s Tan Pearly holds the Guinness record for the fastest female badminton hit with a speed of 438 kmph.
The world record attempts were achieved on April 14, 2023 and were verified by judges from the Guinness world re cords based on the speed measurement results from that day. It was conducted at the Yonex factory gymnasium.
PTI

1870 to 1949

Vikram Doctor, May 17, 2022: The Times of India

Badminton, 1970s- Chennai, India
From: Vikram Doctor, May 17, 2022: The Times of India

TOI report dated May 8, 1874 on Mahabaleshwar going badminton mad
From: Vikram Doctor, May 17, 2022: The Times of India

TOI report dated January 17, 1874 on a Poona vs Sattara tournament
From: Vikram Doctor, May 17, 2022: The Times of India

TOI report dated August 7, 1874 about a badminton event in Ahmedabad
From: Vikram Doctor, May 17, 2022: The Times of India


Badminton’s equipment clearly derives from battledore and shuttlecocks, small bats and feathers stuck in corks. Children had played simple games with them for ages, typically using bats to keep shuttlecocks aloft. At some point in the 19th century, players started facing each other over a net and the game became more adversarial.


In Betty Uber’s A Brief History of Badminton from 1870 to 1949 , she describes “an eighteenth-century French print, which depicts a game in progress definitely resembling an archaic form of badminton”. Other accounts suggest it was British officers in Poona who started playing it this way.


The website of the UK’s National Badminton Museum, an informally run initiative, suggests (without citing sources) that as early as the 1850s, in South India, specifically Tanjore, a game was being played with racquets, nets and a ball. The website suggests that this game was called ‘Poona’, and it is certainly true that ball badminton has remained popular in South India. 


A sport and a pastime 


Around 1870, in the UK, a game with racquets, net and shuttlecock was played at Badminton Park, the Duke of Beaufort’s country home. Uber suggests that the Duke introduced it to British officers serving in India who were on leave at that time. But it’s possible that such officers introduced it to the Duke. The key point was that the game took place indoors, in one of the large, high-ceilinged rooms at Badminton Park. 
Other bat and ball games were played indoors, like real tennis (which went outdoors and became lawn tennis), or racquets (which stayed indoors and became squash). But they were more elaborate and required purpose-built courts with special features. The game that started at Badminton Park retained the informality that must have characterised those early games, with furniture pushed to the side and a makeshift net set-up.

By March 1872, the newly named game was being played in India. “All the world here is nearly mad on the subject of ‘badminton’, the newly fashioned game of shuttlecock across a rope,” reported a Times of India correspondent from Bareilly in the North-Western Provinces of British India (which would become the United Provinces, and then Uttar Pradesh).


By 1874, the craze had spread across India. “Mahabaleshwar has gone badminton mad. The woods are deserted and old and young spend their evenings in dark spots playing this evidently fascinating game,” reported a TOI correspondent in May from the hill station near Bombay, where the city’s elite spent their summers.

In February that year, Calcutta experienced an acute shortage of shuttlecocks. A newspaper reported that a local firm had ordered “25 gross”, meaning 3,600 shuttles, but it would take ages for them to come by ship and so “a scientific artisan in the bazaar, we are informed, essayed to make some, but failed signally”. It would only be in the 1920s that an Indian shuttle-making industry would develop, in Baniban village near Calcutta. 
Across India, from Satara and Surat to Jabalpur and Faizabad, Ahmedabad and Ahmednagar, Hyderabad and Karachi (both in Sindh, now in Pakistan) reports came to TOI of the British going crazy over badminton. In Delhi, Italian musicians played light music to accompany badminton events. In Mussoorie, one of the first injuries was noted, a young lady hit in the eye by a shuttle. 
In Simla, the summer capital of the Raj, even rains could not stop the game: “Badminton on swampy grass and under dripping trees, and sometimes in macintoshes and under umbrellas, but still the real game.”


That indicates that badminton was being played outdoors, and this continued, as it still does, for informal games. But serious players realised that indoor playing was the way to go. There is some support for Poona’s claim to be the founding centre for badminton that in 1874, while most people were playing wherever they could, special ‘sheds’ were being constructed there.

A TOI report from Poona, in June 1874, reported the completion, at a cost of Rs 1,000, of “a cruciform building, each limb forming one court, so that four games may go on at some time in it”. It was open on all sides, but if too much breeze made play uncertain, mats could be put up to partially enclose it. Rs 1,000 was not a small sum then, but the British in Poona seemed to have been able to raise it easily to play badminton. 
 This was one reason why badminton took off in India. 


Match point


In the UK, the Duke of Beaufort might have had the space to host games, but most people did not. The British in India had the space and resources — and were desperate for such distractions. In Imperial Boredom , Jeffrey A Auerbach’s illuminating study of the monotony of British lives in India, he notes how sports became an obsession because “officers, many of whom had grown up in military and middle-class families in rural communities, increasingly saw them as a way to alleviate boredom”.


Another reason is evident in those TOI accounts of the badminton craze. Right from the start, women played it as much, and often with, men. This is quite rare in the history of sports, which nearly always start off dominated by men, with women only grudgingly being allowed in time. Some games have been developed for women, like netball, and have later allowed men, but these are consciously created exceptions. 
By the 1870s, more and more British women were coming to India and needed distractions as much, or even more than the men, who at least had official jobs. While most sports were seen as too energetic and unsuitable for women, croquet played on lawns was acceptable, and so was badminton, writes David Gilmour in The British in India , since it was a “rather gentle game, appealing particularly to middle-class people who did not wish to put on special sporting clothes”.

Any of the Thomas Cup games was proof that there is nothing gentle about professional badminton. This is the sport with the highest speed object of sport, with a shuttlecock being recorded being hit at 493 km/h, by Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in a tournament in 2017. But badminton has a deceptively gentle nature, which helps attract people put off by the more obvious physicality of games like tennis. This was why women were allowed to play during the Raj — and for more reasons than just winning games.


In that 1874 season, in Maharashtra, TOI ’s correspondent worried that badminton was coming in the way of young women finding husbands. This, after all, was the reason why so many British women were coming to India, in the migration called the The Fishing Fleet. Anne de Courcy’s book Husband Hunting in the Raj refers to women playing the game, though the hierarchies of the Raj had to be observed: senior ladies, already with good marriages, had the “first shuttlecock in a game of badminton served to them…”


By 1875, Indians were getting interested in badminton too. A TOI report from Calcutta mentions a touring group of nobles from Jodhpur who “have taken kindly to badminton, at which nationalised pastime they can give points to some of the best local players”. A report from Lucknow that year described a badminton party held by Dewan Muttra Dass, who “is the first native gentleman who has set a good example of badminton; it is hoped that the rest of the native gentlemen will emulate the English game”.

Badminton’s indoor nature was a particular benefit for upper-class Indian women who still observed some form of purdah. Gilmour quotes one witness on how “in the later 1920s, purdah women in ‘gorgeous saris’ were ‘experts’ at badminton and volley-ball”. Badminton could be played in the inner courtyards common to Indian homes, or on flat terraces or even indoors if rooms were large enough. Balls always came with the threat of breaking things inside, but shuttlecocks seemed safer.


Betty Uber’s history of badminton shows how, as badminton enthusiasts from India took the game back to the UK, and covered courts started to be built there, this equal appeal to women and men was maintained. Women were as involved with men in planning the first badminton tournaments in the UK, and women’s games, along with mixed doubles, usually had parity with men’s games. 


This didn’t always continue, of course, as more men got involved with the sport, but badminton’s scorecard for equality is definitely better than most sports. It is also the rare sport not dominated by Anglo/Euro-centrism — where the governing bodies of most sports are based in Europe, the Badminton World Federation is now headquartered in Kuala Lumpur.


This all reflects the unusual origins of badminton in India and it is also why the Thomas Cup victory will soon, hopefully, be complemented by Indian women winning the Uber Cup — named after badminton’s historian Betty Uber, who was a past women’s champion herself.

Major milestones

May 16, 2022: The Times of India

1980: Prakash Padukone wins All England Championships

1983: Prakash Padukone wins bronze at the World Championships

2001: Pullela Gopichand wins All England Championships

2010: Saina Nehwal wins Commonwealth women’s singles gold, Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa win women’s doubles gold and India win team gold

2011: Jwala-Ashwini bag women’s doubles bronze at World Championships

2012: Saina Nehwal wins women’s singles bronze at London Olympics

2013: Sindhu wins women’s singles bronze at World Championships, she repeats the feat in 2014.

2014: Indian women win Uber Cup bronze

2015: Saina wins silver at World Championships. Become No. 1

2016: Sindhu wins silver at Olympics. India win bronze in Uber Cup

2017: Sindhu wins Worlds silver, repeats the feat next year. Saina wins bronze at Worlds. Srikanth wins four Super Series titles.

2018: Srikanth becomes World No. 1

2019: Sindhu becomes world champion 2020: Sindhu wins bronze in Olympics.

2022: India are Thomas Cup champions.

An overview

Manne Ratnakar, May 15, 2022: The Times of India

Maiden Thomas Cup title sure to increase popularity of the sport in the country

HYDERABAD: India’s splendid feat of storming into the Thomas Cup final and then stunning 14 time champions and title holders Indonesia in the final to clinch their maiden title in the tournament has made every badminton fan sit up and say 'wow'.

The Indian team didn't just win, they made a statement with their emphatic 3-0 win, thanks to triumphs by Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and then Kidambi Srikanth.

43 years after their previous best showing in the Thomas Cup, when an Indian team which had the likes of Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi, among others, lost in the semi-finals to Denmark, the current Indian team which had the likes of Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, HS Pranoy, Priyanshu Rajawat, M.R Arjun, Dhruv Kapila, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala (full squad) entered the final in style and then humbled the most successful nation in the history of the tournament.

While the Indian fans are celebrating this monumental occasion, the scale of this title win will perhaps be truly understood only by serious followers of the game. Winning individual titles is different but doing well in team events like the Thomas Cup indicates the depth of the Indian squad. It also tells us how far the sport has come, compared to 15 years ago when there was little following. In the late 90s, Pullela Gopichand's mother Subbaravamma used to call newspaper offices and television channels to give the scores of her son's matches.

Things did not change much even after Gopichand's triumph at the All England Championships in 2001, but once he took over as India’s chief coach, there was steady improvement not only in the performance of the players, but also in the popularity of the sport. A lot of credit for this turnaround goes to Gopichand. Gopi himself points to three major incidents and personalities for turning the fortunes of shuttle sports in the country.

In 2004, when Sania Mirza won the WTA Hyderabad Open singles title, the tennis stadium was packed beyond capacity. That made the then SAAP vice-chairman LV Subramanyam realise that to popularise a sport one needs to conduct international tournaments. From then on, every year Hyderabad hosted an international badminton event and the World Championships in 2009. "His (LV's) foresight helped us to improve the popularity of the sport," Gopichand said.

The second incident was Saina's quarterfinal finish at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. People started taking notice of Saina and followed her every move. She too did not disappoint her fans and when she played the Commonwealth Games final in New Delhi, the stadium was packed and police found it difficult to control the crowd outside the stadium.

Thereafter, Saina started winning one tournament after the other. The NRIs started following her in whichever country she played. One of Saina’s favourite hunting grounds is Indonesia. It’s said even the taxi drivers recognise her there and some even refuse to take the fare from her!

Though Saina became the first shuttler to win a bronze in the 2012 London Olympics, she did not get the credit due as Indians won medals in other disciplines too.

But the very next year, Sindhu took over, winning World Championship medals year after year.

Badminton's popularity reached its zenith when she won the singles silver in 2016 Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro. Sindhu won the medal towards the end of the Games and it helped that no other Indian had won a medal in Rio till then. And soon the nation was cheering Sindhu’s silver and Sakshi Malik’s bronze in quick succession. The entire country watched Sindhu's final against Carolina Marin and the moment she arrived in Delhi proudly displaying the silver medal, she was swarmed by fans at the airport and the hotel. The 20-km long victory procession in Hyderabad was watched with admiration by millions of people across the world.

Kidambi Srikanth played his part in popularising the sport by winning four Super Series titles, a feat no Indian has achieved. Srikanth and Saina became world No.1, even if it was for just one week each. And in keeping with their achievements and the rising stature of the game, all three — Saina, Sindhu and Srikanth — signed lucrative deals.

The consistent success of these shuttlers, all from Gopichand's academy, changed the face of the game as thousands of academies sprung up all over the country. The emergence of Lakshya Sen has added to the lustre of the game. During his All England final, the youngster who trains at the Prakash Padukone Academy in Bengaluru, enjoyed the support usually reserved for Saina and Sindhu. That someone like Unnati Hooda, the 14-year-old with no training from any reputed academy went on to win the Odisha Open International event shows that there is plenty of talent in the country.

“You have three singles matches in the Thomas Cup. Even if you have 10, India will be hard to beat, for such is the depth we have in this country,” says Gopichand.

Apart from being the chief coach, Gopichand and veteran administrator Punnaiah Choudhary worked relentlessly to get sponsors for the tournaments. “Initially, it was very difficult to get sponsors. We knew so many people and everyone liked Gopichand but very few gave money. Gopi used to ask me, ‘sir is it so difficult to get sponsorships?’ We struggled to get money for the events we conducted between 2005-10,” Punnaiah said.

Along with his friend Srikanth, Gopichand used to spend many sleepless nights to get everything in place for tournaments. But Saina's Commonwealth Games gold medal changed things. The then BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta’s decision to shift these tournaments from Hyderabad to Delhi also helped the sport. Before 2006, an Indian shuttler entering the main draw or breaking into top-100 was major news. But now dozens of Indians enter the main draw of several international events every year and the entries for domestic tournaments cross 3000!

From just entering the tournament to Indians reaching the final of international events has become a regular feature now, and they even have a dedicated fan base, particularly in Switzerland, Birmingham, Malaysia and Indonesia.

There is hectic activity on social media too whenever an Indian wins a title. Celebrities like Anand Mahindra, Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan and many film stars send congratulatory messages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi never forgets to applaud the Indian team.

Age group shuttlers now find it easy to believe that they can make a career out of sport and the confidence levels have zoomed with the Premier Badminton League adding to it as international stars are part of the teams. The prize money has been hiked for domestic tournaments and badminton has never had it so good in the country.

The Sports Ministry has announced a one Crore cash award for the Thomas Cup winning Indian team.

INDIA’S LANDMARK SINGLES VICTORIES

The Times of India 2013/08/10

PRAKASH PADUKONE

All England title 1980; Winner World Cup 1981; Commonwealth Games singles gold 1978; Bronze at World Championships 1983

SYED MODI

Commonwealth Games singles gold 1982; Bronze at Delhi Asian Games

PULLELA GOPICHAND

All England title 2001

APARNA POPAT

Runner-up World Junior Championship 1996; French Open 1998; Silver at Commonwealth Games 1998

SAINA NEHWAL

Bronze at London Olympics 2012; Gold at Commonwealth Games 2010; 17 major international titles

The Times of India, Aug 20 2016

Manne Ratnakar

Saina's trademark clam on court helps her deal with pesky opponents who try to rattle her with body smashes and stares. Sindhu, on her part, doesn't like body smashes and would get easily rattled and concede points. It's because of this that she tended to lose many matches from winning positions.

Saina, a proven champion, interestingly does not believe she is a natural stroke maker. She has herself admitted on a number of occasions that she lacked natural talent compared to some other players. Saina relies more on hard work and training and needs at least six to eight weeks to peak before a tournament.

PARUPALLI KASHYAP

Bronze at Commonwealth Games 2010

PV Sindhu

Badminton, P V Sindhu, Marin and Saina Nehwal; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, August 20, 2016

Bronze at World Badminton Championships, China, 2013

The Times of India, Aug 20 2016

Manne Ratnakar

PV Sindhu has seized the opportunity to unleash her electric prowess as a shuttler on the greatest stage of all, eventually becoming the first female sportsperson to win a silver for India.

Sindhu has numerous chinks in her defence but in 2016, she has worked hard on reducing the chinks. She looks solid in defence now and has sur prised many with her retrieving ability . Saina likes faster court conditions -when the shuttle is moving fast between the courts it will be advantage Saina. Sindhu prefers the opposite, she likes if the shuttle is slow. That is why in Asian conditions, where they use air conditioners, the shuttle moves well and Saina performs better. In Brazil, however, the shuttle moved slower and Sindhu was on a roll.

At the Olympics 2016, Sindhu has been a revelation. She was cool like a cucumber even in the gold medal match and hardly ever seemed annoyed throughout her memorable campaign.

Standing tall at 5'11“, Sindhu likes to pack her shots with a lot of power. Saina, however, is a rally player who wears down the opponent and pounces on the mistakes of others.

International titles, victories

Asian Junior Championship

July 23, 2018: The Times of India

Gold

1965: Gautam Thakkar won the boys singles gold

2012: PV Sindhu was the first girl to achieve this honour.

2018: Lakshya Sen toppled top seed and reigning world junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsaran to become the first Indian boy after 53 years to win the Asian Junior Championship, in Jakarta. The 16-year-old needed just 46 minutes to beat Kunlavut 21-19, 21-18 in the final.

Other medals

2009: Mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Chopra/Prajakta Sawant claimed bronze.

2011: Sameer Verma won silver

2011: Sindhu clinched bronze.

2012: Sameer Verma won bronze.

All England Badminton championships

1947-2022

INDIANS IN ALL ENGLAND FINALS 



Prakash Nath: 1947

Prakash Padukone: ’80 (won)


P Gopichand: 2001 (won)


Saina Nehwal: 2015


Lakshya Sen: 2022

2022

Gayatri-Treesa First Women’s Team SFs

Manne Ratnakar, March 19, 2022: The Times of India

Teen shuttlers Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly became the first Indian women’s pair to reach the semifinals of All England Badminton championships. Lakshya Sen followed them in to semis when he got a a walkover. While 19-year-old Gayatri and 18-year-old Treesa fought back after losing the first set and saved two match points before beating second seeds Lee Sohee and Shin Seungchan of Korea 14-21, 22-20, 21-15, Lakshya Sen got a walkover as his quarterfinal opponent Lu Guang Zu pulled out due to a back injury.

Gayatri's decision to give up singles for the sake of doubles, despite opposition from all quarters, has now paid off as she reached the semifinals of the All England in her first attempt. The inexperienced girls, kept their nerve at crucial moments of the second and the third games to prevail over the silver medallists at the World Championships.

Trailing 15-18 in the second game, the Gayatri-Treesa duo was staring down the barrel. But a second wind helped them close the gap and force the decider.

Excited with the victory, Treesa said, “We didn’t feel any pressure, may- be that's the main thing that helped us. ” Gayatri said they were determined to give their best. “We wanted to give it our best. When we were down 18-20 in the second set, we just wanted to fight, take it one point at a time,” she said.

In the semifinals, Gayatri-Treesa will play Zhen Yu and Zhang Shu Xian of China. Though the Chinese are ranked No. 276 in the world, they have defeated top pairs on their way to semifinals.

Meanwhile, Lakshya had it easy and will play the winner of the match between second seed Kento Momota of Japan and sixth seed Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, in the semis.

The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty squandered a huge advantage to lose to top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia 22-24, 17-21. The Indians were up 20-15 in the first game before the Indonesians fought back gallantly.

In the second game, it was a see-saw battle till the 15th point before the Indonesians raced ahead to win the match.


Lakshya gets silver; women’s doubles pair loses SF

Manne Ratnakar, March 21, 2022: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen faltered at the final hurdle of the All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham on Sunday. His 10-21, 15-21 loss to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen means India’s 21-year-old jinx at this tournament continues — Pullela Gopichand was the last Indian to win the title in 2001. 


It was sweet revenge for Axelsen, who had lost to his training partner Lakshya in the semifinal of the German Open last week.


Disappointed with his loss, Lakshya said, “I came with a strategy on how to play the final. But today he was solid. In the first game, I made a lot of errors. In the second game I did well but he was too good. Credit to him. He played very well. ” 
Axelsen was obviously delighted. “I am very happy, as happy as I was when I won the title here the first time. I wanted to start by hitting hard.

I also think Lakshya was a little tired after the tough match yesterday. ”

The Olympic champion had a clear game plan for the match: engage the Indian in long rallies and confine him to the back court. The Dane started on a fluent note, winning six straight points. Lakshya tried to break the rhythm and scored two points but the tall Dane was in no mood to relent. He went into the break with a nine-point cushion (11- 2). It was difficult for the Indian to bridge the gap. Still, Lakshya collected eight more points before Axelsen closed out the first game.

Lakshya looked the better player at the net on the day. But Axelsen hardly allowed him any net play. Lifting the shuttle high and hitting the lines hard, Axelsen took the lead in the second game and even before Lakshya could get his momentum, Axelsen was up 18-11. Though Lakshya, the youngest Indian to reach the final, made some recovery, it was too late.

Late on Saturday, the women’s doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly bowed out in the semifinals following their 17-21, 16-21 defeat to Shu Xiang Zhang and You Zheng of China.

The Indian girls were up 11-8 in the first game before the Chinese found their rhythm and moved forward with a five-point burst from 15-15 to seal the issue. Gayatri-Treesa were in the contest till the 15th point of the second game.

Though they failed to reach the final, 19-year-old Gayatri and 18-yearold Treesa, the more aggressive of the duo, gave a good account of themselves by becoming the first pair to reach the semifinals of this prestigious event. They had defeated Olympic champions in the pre-quarterfinals and World Championships silver medallists in the quarterfinals.

2024

Second round

Manne Ratnakar, March 15, 2024: The Times of India

Down 2-8 and 6-11 in the decider, world No. 18 Lakshya Sen made a brilliant comeback to beat Anders Antonsen of Denmark 24-22, 11-21, 21-14 in the second round of the All England Championships in Birmingham.

But it was curtains for PV Sindhu as she failed to get past world No. 1 An Se Young. The Korean youngster took 42 minutes to win 21-19, 21-11. From 6-12 in the decider, Lakshya won 15 of the next 17 points to record a sensational victory against the world No.3 Dane.


Lakshya focused hard and first erased the margin with some good work a t the net and acute-angled smashes that hit the lines. From 14-14, Antonsen touched the net twice, gifting points to the Indian. Antonsen was upset with the decision of the umpire and lost focus while Lakhsya powered ahead to set up a last eight clash with Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia.


Earlier, An proved too good for Sindhu, who has never won against the Korean in seven attempts. An has dominated the contests so much that she has lost just one game to Sindhu so far.


It was no different on Thursday, but for a brief fight by the Indian in the first game. Sindhu moved well on the court and even produced many smash winners. Though An's defence was rock solid, Sindhu managed to penetrate it a few times. 


Sindhu fought back from 11-17 to make it 16-17. The five straight points included a well-planned half smash, an unplayable drop and a deceptive flick to the backhand corner. 
However, An won the next three points. Sindhu saved three game p oints but m is judged a line call at 19-20. 


An was cautious in the second game. She hardly gave room for Sindhu to play her natural game and led 11-6 at the mandatory break. From 9-14, Sindhu committed five unforced errors and misjudged one line call to hand over a comfortable victory to An.


“She's (An) the top player now. I should have been more patient,” said Sindhu. “I could have done better. The first game was fine but I made simple mistakes...in the second set I gave her a huge lead, it was really late,” Sindhu added.

Satwiksairaj, Chirag eleminated

Manne Ratnakar, March 16, 2024: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a rude jolt at the All England Championships. The world No.1 Indians lost to the world No. 9 Indonesian pair of Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana 16-21, 15-21 in Birmingham.

Satwik-Chirag did not lose a single game in the last fortnight before they crashed out of All England.

Playing a fast-paced game, the Indonesians came up with aclear plan. They pushed the shuttle to far corners of the court and gave no space or time for the Indians to play their attacking game.


Fikri-Maulana focused on keeping the shuttle flat, thereby restricting the attack option.From 7-6 in the first game, they raced to 13-6 with a six-point burst. 


Though the Indians reduced the gap to 15-17 they committed a few more unforced errors. Satwik struggled with his returns and conceded three points at this stage.

All England

Semifinals: Lakshya Sen loses

Manne Ratnakar, March 17, 2024: The Times of India

India’s long drought at the All England badminton championships continued as Lakshya Sen lost in the semifinals of the blue riband event in Birmingham, England.

Sen fought hard before he lost his rhythm in the third game and suffered a 12-21, 21-10, 15-21 defeat to Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.
 After losing the first game, Lakshya recovered to win the second game with a big margin. Even in the third game, he was up 3-0. But Christie clawed his way back in the contest, relying mostly on his jump smashes.


He first played long rallies and after wearing out his rival, executed full-blooded smashes. When Lakshya was up 6-4, Christie engaged him in the longest rally of the match, a 63-shot exchange, and won it.


That changed the complexion of the match. Till then, Lakshya appeared to be in control but lost momentum after that. Christie led 11-8 at the break and very soon widened the gap to 15-10 before marching into the final.


In the first game, Lakshya was in only till 7-9. Thereafter, Christie increased the tempo and secured several smash winners. From 11-7, Christie powered ahead to 18-10, scoring maximum points with his smashes. Before the second game, Lakshya’s coaches Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar were heard telling him to earn points by playing long rallies. Following their advice, Lakshya started on a brisk note in the second game and secured an 11-3 lead even before Christie could get a feel of the new side of the court. The Indonesian made a flurry of mistakes. He hit the shuttle wide several times and committed many unforced errors.


The eight-point lead at the halfway stage proved handy for Lakshya, who widened the gap as Christie continued to make errors. It was too good to be true, though.


In an all-Indonesian final, Christie will face Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. Fifth-seeded Ginting recovered to beat Christo Popov of France 19-21, 21-5, 21-11 in the other semifinal.

Asia Championships

2022

A

Satwik-Chirag, Sindhu in last eight; Srikanth, Saina bow out

PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships while the rest of the Indians exited the tournament in Manila on Thursday. Sindhu made short work of world No. 100 Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi of Singapore 21-16, 21-16 and thirdseeded Satwik-Chirag defeated the Japanese duo of Akira Kogo and Taichi Saito 21-17, 21-15, reports Manne Ratnakar.

B

Manne Ratnakar, April 30, 2022: The Times of India

Sindhu vs Yamaguchi in semis of Asain meet

PV Sindhu is assured of a medal at the Badminton Asia Championships as she sailed into the semifinals with a hard-fought 21-9, 13-21, 21-19 victory against He Bing Jiao of China in Manila on Friday. However, the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag crashed out of the tournament, losing to Aaron Chia and Woo Yik Soh 21-12, 14-21, 16-21 in the quarterfinals. S indhu’s only medal at this event was a bronze in 2014 at Gimcheon. The Indian, who got off to a stuttering start in the tournament, was in good touch in the crucial tie again st Bing. Sindhu was off in a flash in the first game and led 11-2 at the break. Even be- fore Bing could warm up, Sindhu wrapped up the first game. However, the Chinese girl, who enjoys a 9-7 win-loss record against Sindhu, was determined to come back. She found her rhythm and from 8-9, she scored six consecutive points to move clear of the Indian. From 14-11, Jiao cam e up with another five points (19-11), leaving no chance for the Indian to recover.

C

Manne.Ratnakar, May 1, 2022: The Times of India

‘Livid’ Sindhu settles for bronze vs Yamaguchi

Indian Loses Focus After Being Penalised A Point For Delay

PV Sindhu failed in her bid to change the colour of the medal at the Badminton Asia Championships as she lost 21-13, 19-21, 16-21 to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the semifinals in Manila on Saturday. Her previous medal was also a bronze at Gimcheon in 2014.


The Indian was in cruise mode after winning the first game easily and she even led in the second at 14-12. However, the Indian lost her focus at this juncture as she was penalised a point for delay. A rattled Sindhu argued with the umpire. It appeared that Sindhu was not at fault. Sindhu was heard saying, “She was not ready sir, how can I serve? I was ready. ” But the umpire was in no mood to listen. Sindhu even called the tournament referee and told him that Yamaguchi was not ready to receive the serve. “Sir, I was ready. How can I serve when she is still shaking her leg and getting ready,” she told him. But the referee did not provide any relief and Sindhu was penalised a point.

Asia Junior Championships

2022

A

Unnati Hooda became the first Indian to enter the U-17 women’s singles final of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Nothaburi after beating Japan’s Mion Yokouchi 21-8 21-17.

B: Unnati Hooda and Anish Thoppani win silver medals

Dec 5, 2022: The Times of India

New Delhi : Indian shuttlers Unnati Hooda and Anish Thoppani signed off with silver medals at Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships 2022 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.


Men’s doubles pair of Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Saraswat also finished second best as Indian contingent finished the prestigious event with three silver and two bronze medals.


Odisha Open champion Unnati, who is the first Indian girl to reach the U-17 final of continental championship, went down 18-21 21-9 14-21 against Sarunrak Vitidsarn of Thailand. Anish lost 8-21 24-22 19-21 to Chung-Hsiang Yih in the U-15 boys’ singles final. Arsh and Sanskar fell short 13-21 21-19 22-24 to Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po-Yu and YiHao Lin in the summit clash. All three Indian finalists were a game down, won second game, but failed to convert third.


After losing first game, Unnati dominated the next game. The decider was neck-toneck till 14-14 before the Thai raced to victory. Anish was little off-beat at the start and his opponent from Chinese Taipei took full advantage of that to win the first game without much ado. 
Earlier, Gnana Dattu in boys’ singles and doubles pair of Bjorn Jaison and Aathish Sreenivas P V had secured bronze medals in U-15 category.


PTI

Asia Mixed Team Championship

2023

India enters semi- final for the first time

Manne Ratnakar, February 18, 2023: The Times of India

Indian shuttlers fought back from a 0-2 deficit to sail into the semifinals of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Dubai on Friday. This is India’s maiden entry into the last four of the Championships.


After losing the mixed doubles and men’s singles matches, India won the next three matches to beat Hong Kong 3-2 in the quarterfinals. The women’s doubles pair of Trees a Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won the deciding last match for India. 
Trailing 0-2 in the match, Chirag Shetty and Dhruv Kapila defeated Tang Chun Man and Yeung Shing Choi 20-22, 21-16, 21-16 in men’s doubles to make it 1-2. Though she lost the first game, PV Sindhu defeated Saloni Samirbhai Mehta 16-21, 21-7, 21-9 and made it 2-2.


In the decider, TreeshaGayatri drubbed Ng Tsz Yau and Ng Wing Yung 21-13, 21-12 in 36 minutes. Earlier, inthe first match, the mixed doubles pair of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto suffered a 24-26, 17-21 loss to Lee Chung Hei Reginald and Ng Tsz Yau.


India fielded Lakshya Sen in singles. The world No. 11 was expected to prevail over world No. 14 Ng Ka Long Angus. However, the Hong Kong shuttler was in full flow and won 20-22, 21-19, 21-18. Though Lakshya won the first game after winning two big points at 20-20, Angus won the next two games.

India wins bronze

Manne Ratnakar, February 19, 2023: The Times of India

Despite a gallant performance by two doubles teams, India went down to China 2-3 in the semifinals and settled for bronze in the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship in Dubai.


On a day when singles shuttlers HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu flattered to deceive, Chirag Shetty-Dhruv Kapila and the young pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ensured India forced the decider. However, the mixed doubles pair of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto lost to Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin 17-21, 13-21.


Chirag and Dhruv defeated He Ji Ting and Zhou Hao Dong 21-19, 21-19 after HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu suffered shock losses to unfancied Chinese opponents in the first two matches. Treesa-Gayatri survived anxious moments to beat Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning 21-18, 13-21, 21-19 to make it 2-2 for India.


The second rung Chinese team came up with a gallant display against the experienced Indians. Earlier, Prannoy was nowhere in the contest against world No. 121 Lei Lan Xi. The world No. 9 Indian lost 13-21, 15-21. Sindhu suffered a 9-21, 21-16, 18-21 loss to world No. 101 Gao Fang Jie . Though Sindhu won the second game and dominated most part of the third, the Chinese girl, who defeated the Indian in 2017 and 2018, kept her nerve at 18-18 in the decider. Gao won three straight points at this crucial juncture to outclass the Indian.


After Chirag-Dhruv made it 2-1 in the third match, Treesa-Gayatri nearly lost the contest. In the decider, the Indians squandered a big lead but made amends towards the end.


Leading 15-9 in the third game, they gave eight straight points to the Chinese. Trailing 18-19, the girls won three big points to pull off a hard ought victory after one hour and 17 minutes on the court. 
In the final, China will face South Korea.

Asia Olympic Qualifiers

2024

Nancy, Elavenil win air rifle gold, silver

ASIA OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS

Jakarta : Budding shooter Nancy and Olympian Elavenil Valarivan came up with a grand performance in women's 10m air rifle, clinching gold and silver respectively at the Asia Olympic Qualifiers here on Wednesday. Teenager Nancy, the junior world team champion, shot a superb 252.8 in the final field of eight to clinch the top spot.


Compatriot Elavenil was unlucky to miss the gold by a fraction of a point, aggregating 252.7. India narrowly missed a clean sweep in the women's 10m air rifle final after Mehuli Ghosh finished fourth with 210 p oints, behind China’s Shen Yufan. The trio also won the team gold by a distance over Singapore.


Earlier in men’s 10m air rifle event, Rudrankksh Patil had clinched bronze in the individual event, with Ar- jun Babuta finishing sixth in the final. The duo also won the team bronze along with Sri Karthik Sabari Raj Ravishankar. India’s world champion marksman Rudrankksh settled for bronze medal after shooting 228.7 in the final, which was won by Ma Sihan of China (251.4), while Korea's Daehan Choe bagged silver.


Rudrankksh had qualified for the eight-shooter final placed third with a score of 630.4, while Babuta (629.6) was fourth going into the medal round. Nancy was consistent throughout the final, not having a single below-par score, while Elavenil was unlucky to score a 9.7 in her 10th shot in the final, which finally decided her fate.


Nancy, who first shot into international prominence with a silver at the Baku World Cup last year, shot no less than 10.1 to win her first senior international individual gold.


PTI

Australian Open BWF Super-500

2023

A

Mithun stuns Loh; Sindhu, Srikanth advance: Mithun Manjunath stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 21-19, 21-19, while HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Priyanshu Rajawat and PV Sindhu cleared the first round at the Australian Open BWF Super-500 tournament in Sydney. Lakshya Sen retired against compatriot Kiran George while trailing 0-5.

B

Manne Ratnakar, August 6, 2023: The Times of India

HS Prannoy downed Priyanshu Rajawat to storm into the Australian Open Super-500 tournament final. Despite the 21-18, 21-12 scoreline, it was a tough contest and Prannoy taught the significance of retrieving to his junior training partner. Not giving length to hit smashes, Prannoy engaged the youngster near the net and surprised him with an occasional smash winner.


Prannoy faces Weng Hong Yang in the final. Weng defeated Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia 21-19, 13-21, 21-13 in the other semifinal. This is the second final of the year for Prannoy, who had won the Singapore Open Super-500 in May. Priyanshu gave a tough time to Prannoy in the first game. Though Prannoy went into the break up 11-8, Priyanshu reduced the deficit to make it 12-12. Thereafter, trailing 17-18, Priyanshu levelled again with a stunning return, with his racquet at 180 degrees. However, Prannoy came up with three smash winners.


In the second game, Prannoy secured a 11-7 lead at the break. Though Priyanshu made it 11-13, Prannoy dominated thereafter. Retrieving everything, he unsettled Priyanshu. From 13-11, he scored six straight points to shut Priyanshu out.


Prannoy lavished praise on Priyanshu. “We have to be careful with these players, who are skill-wise ahead of myself. He’s been playing good badminton for the last seven-eight months. He is a tricky opponent with big smashes,” Prannoy said and added that he had to be patient against Priyanshu.


Prannoy also hoped to get the crowd support in the final. “Hong Yang is very tricky. In the last six months, he beat several big names. Being left-handed, he has an advantage. But I’ll go all out tomorrow,” he said. Prannoy enjoys a 1-0 record against the Hong.


Meanwhile, Beiwen Zhang of USA and Kim Ga Eun of South Korea reached the women’s singles final. Beiwen advanced as Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand retired at 21-7, 8-3 and Kim trounced Aya Ohori of Japan 21-10, 21-11.

C

Manne Ratnakar, August 7, 2023: The Times of India

It was heartbreak for HS Prannoy as he squandered a five-point lead in the third game to lose 9-21, 23-21, 20-22 to China’s Weng Hong Yang in the Australian Open BWF Super 500 final in Sydney.

Prannoy was up 14-19 in the decider but made a couple of mistakes to allow Yang to reduce the gap to 16-19. The players were involved in the longest rally of the match -71 shots at this stage of the match.


Prannoy fired three powerful smashes during the rally. But Weng retrieved all three - two by diving to his extreme left and one a body smash. A rattled Prannoy then found the net as Weng scored his fourth straight point. This rally swung the momentum in Weng’s favour and the Chinese capitalised on it.


Chief coach Pullela Gopichand said Pranno y did nothing wrong. “He played very well towards the end. Prannoy did not do anything wrong, it was his opponent who played well,” Gopichand said and added that Prannoy was good in the last three weeks.


“The last three weeks were fantastic for him. He did well in close matches against top opponents. His match against Viktor (Axelsen) was very close. He’s become very competitive and it augurs well ahead of the world championships, Asian Games and China Open,” Gopichand said. The world championships will be held in Denmark from August 21 to 27.


Priyanshu unlikely for Worlds: Orleans Masters champion Priyanshu Rajawat is unlikely to qualify for the Worlds as Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth complete the lineup of three men’s singles slots from Ind ia. The 21-year-old is a reserve. Gopichand lauded Priyanshu for his semifinal show in Sydney. “He was very good. The way he adapted himself was quite impressive,” Gopichand said.


Zhang wins women’s singles: Beiwen Zhang of USA defeated seventh seed Kim Ga Eun of South Korea 20-22, 21-16, 21-8 to win the women’s title.


Other results (finals): Men’s doubles: Kang Min/Seo Seung (Kor) bt Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobyashi (Jpn) 21-17, 21-17; Women’s doubles: Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong (Kor) bt Liu Sheng Shu/ Tan Ning (Chn) 21-18, 21-16; Mixed doubles: Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong (Chn) bt Hiroki Midorikawa/Natsu Saito (Jpn) 21-14, 16-21, 21-15.

Badminton Asia Team Championships

2022: Indians fail to qualify for Kos

Shah Alam : India’s campaign at the Badminton Asia Team Championships came to end as the men’s and women’s teams failed to advance to the knockout round after going down to their respective opponents here on Friday. While the men’s team lost 2-3 to three-time defending champions Indonesia, the women’s side were hammered 1-4 by Japan.

2024

A

Manne Ratnakar, February 17, 2024: The Times of India

Indian women assured themselves of a medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) as they cruised past Hong Kong 3-0 in the quarterfinals at Shah Alam in Malaysia. But it was heartbreak for Indian men as they lost to Japan in the quarterfinals.


Indian men have won two bronze (2018, 2020), but this is a first for Indian women. PV

Sindhu, Ashwini PonnappaTanisha Crasto and Ashmita Chaliha won the first three matches. Stunning China and topping the group helped India draw a weaker team in the knockout stage.


Sindhu started the campaign with a hard-fought 21-7, 16-21, 21-12 victory over Lo Sin Yan. Despite losing the second game Sindhu dominated the other two games. Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto eased past Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam 21-10, 21-14. Ashmita trounced Yeung Sum Yee 21-12, 21-13. India face Japan in the semis. Japan defeated China 3-2. India can fancy their chances against Japan, who are without their top player Akane Yamaguchi. 


Chief coach Pullela Gopichand lauded the women’s achievement. “This a wonderful achievement for the women's team. To beat China in the group stage was quite an achievement. The entire team ledby Sindhu came up with good effort. Hope to win our next matches and get a better medal,” Gopichand said.


Indonesia will face Thailand in the other semifinal. Indonesia blanked M alaysia 3-0 and Thailand defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1 in the quarterfinals. HS Prannoy went down to Kenta Nishimoto 16-21, 24-26. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Kenya Mitsuhashi an d Hiroki Okamura 21-15, 21-17 to make it 1-1.


Lakshya Sen secured lead with a 21-19, 22-20 victory against Koki Watanabe. But Japan came back as Akira Koga and Kazuki Shibata drubbed MR Arjun and Dhr uv Kapila 21-17, 21-15. In the decider, Kidambi Srikanth lost to Kento Momota 21-17, 9-21, 20-22.

B: 2024, historic gold for women

Manne Ratnakar, February 19, 2024: The Times of India

Hyderabad: Teen shuttler Anmol Kharb delivered the killer punch once again as Indian women scaled another peak by emerging triumphant at the Badminton Asia Team Champiosnhips with a 3-2 victory in the final against Thailand in Shah Alam, Malaysia. China trounced Malaysia 3-0 to win the men’s final.


With both teams tied at 2-2, it was left to Anmol. And for the third time this week, the 17-year-old from Faridabad clinched the decider for India. Playing her first international tournament, the world No.472 displayed nerves of steel and looked like a seasoned campaigner as she took on world No.45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong. The contest was over in 43 minutes and there was no doubt about the result as Anmol reduced her rival into submission with a 21-14, 21-9 victory. Earlier, she had done same against China and Japan.


PV Sindhu gave a winning start to her team. Despite moving slowly on the court, Sindhu was never in trouble against Supanida Katethong 21-12, 21-12, an opponent who troubled the Indian quite a few times in the past. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gop- ichand clinched a crucial victory for India.

Up against world No.10 pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai, the world No.23 Indians worked hard in the one hour 13-minute contest. Treesa-Gayatri won the first game but the Thais, who enjoy a 4-1 win-loss record, came up strongly to take the second game to push the contest into the decider. At one stage in the third game, the Indians were trailing 6-10. But after the mandatory change of courts, the girls wiped out the margin and broke free from 15-15 with a five-point burst at this crucial stage. The victory was quite significant as this was the only top-10 pair Thailand had fielded in the tournament.


Thailand pulled one back when Busanan Ongbamrungphan registered a straight game victory against Ashmita Chaliha 21-11, 21-14. As Tanish Crasto was injured India fielded a new pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra. The young girls proved no match for the world No.13 team of Benyappa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard 11-21, 9-21.


At 2-2, Anmol stepped in and seized the moment for India.


Chief coach Pullela Gopichand described the victory as one of the happiest moment of his life. “Its a fantastic victory, one of the very happiest moments of my life. The manner in which the entire team came together and triumphed speaks volumes of their calibre. Not many countries in the world could achieve this honour. Treesa-Gayatri pulled off the victory against a very tough team. Sindhu was good today. It is good that we beat top teams as not many teams in the world can talk of beating China and Japan,” Gopichand said, adding that Anmol was special.

Badminton Asia Championships

2023

A

Manne Ratnakar, April 28, 2023: The Times of India

PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and the mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Sikki Reddy advanced to the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai.

While Prannoy recovered from a mid-match slump to beat Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia 21-16, 5-21, 21-18, Rohan-Sikki got a lucky break after their fourth-seeded opponents Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung pulled out. Sindhu defeated Han Yue of China 21-12, 21-15. She will face second seed An Se Young in the quarterfinals. Sindhu has never won against the South Korean in five meetings.


Satwik-Ch irag drubbed Jin Yong and NA Seung Sung of Korea 21-13, 21-11. The Indians next play the world No. 3 pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand pulled out of their second round match against Jeong Na Eun and Kim Hye Jeong of Korea.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth faltered against fourth seed Kodai Naraoka and lost 14-21, 22-20, 9-21.

Prannoy fought hard for one hour to get past Chico. After winning the first comfortably, Prannoy lost the plot in the second. Even before he got used to the new court Chico was up 9-2 and won the game comfortably. Prannoy was up 12-6 in the third b Chico caught up at 15-15.

Prannoy made it 19-16 and though Chico won two more points, Prannoy secured the winner. Prannoy plays Kanta Tsuneyama , who defeated Ng Ka Long Angus 13-21, 21-19, 21-11. Prannoy enjoys a 3-2 record against the Japanese shuttler.

B

Manne Ratnakar, April 29, 2023: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty assured themselves of a medal at the Badminton Asian Championships in Dubai. It will be India’s first medal in men’s doubles after 52 years. Attacking relentlessly, the duo ousted higher ranked Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia 21-11, 21-12 in the men’s doubles quarterfinals.


PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy and the mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Sikki Reddy lost in the quarterfinals. 


The world No. 6 Indian duo despatched their world No. 3 opponents in 28 minutes. From 8-8 in the first game, they moved to 16-8.

In the second game too, the Indians broke free from the 10th point. There were over a dozen smashes each in both the games.

Sindhu again failed to get past An Se Young and lost 18-21, 5-21, 9-21, Prannoy retired at 21-11, 13-9 after losing the first game to Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan. Rohan and Sikki went down to Dejan Ferndinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja of Indonesia 18-21, 21-19, 15-21.

This is the sixth consecutive defeat for Sindhu against An.

C: Satwik, Chirag First Indian Pair To Win Asian Championship

Manne Ratnakar, May 1, 2023: The Times of India

Ending a 58-year-old drought Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched the Continental championship in style with a splendid victory against Ong Yew Sing and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia 16-21, 21-17, 21-19. Staring down the barrel after losing the first game and trailing by six points in the second, the Indians fought back to pocket men’s doubles gold at the Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai.

Dinesh Khanna was the only other Indian to win a gold at this meet, way back in 1965. This is also the first doubles gold for India at the Asian meet. 
Delighted with the feat, Chirag said, “I am over the moon. I and Satwik worked really hard for this medal and I am happy that we have finally won the title. ”


Satwik said that they would win more titles in future. “I am grateful for all the support we have got during this Championships. It’s a great feeling to win this tournament for the first time and I am sure we will win more such titles in the future,” Satwik said.


Emerging out of the shadow of the dominant singles shuttlers PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth, the duo of Satwik-Chirag has always shown a lot of promise. But at crucial times they were laid low by injuries. Even at the last Olympics they were the only team to beat the eventual gold medallists. They repeated the feat here and in fact they have beaten champion teams repeatedly over the last few years.

Though they had won several titles including the Thomas Cup, this would rank among the best as the field has world No. 1 pair, Olympic champions and former world champions.

The final showdown turned out to be a fight between the best attacking pair and the best defending team of the tournament. But things did not go according to the plan for the Indians as they did not get enough length to play the smashes. And whatever little they could manage was effectively repulsed by the Malaysians.

Having beaten reigning world No. 1 and former world champions in the earlier rounds, the Malaysians started on a strong note. From the 13th point in the first game, they moved ahead of the Indians. Even in the second they were cruising ahead before Satwik’s service changed the course of the match from 7-13. Unfazed by the big lead, Indians scored five straight points with the help of a couple of unforced errors by the opponents and two good smashes by Chirag. The momentum shifted to the Indian side with these points. In the decider too, Satwik-Chirag came back from 11-15, surviving some anxious moments towards the end.

MEN’S DOUBLES: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty bt 8-Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (Mas) 16-21, 21-17, 21-19.

Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships

2024: Tanvi Patri

August 26, 2024: The Times of India

New Delhi : Tanvi Patri, 13, from Odisha cemented her status as one of India’s most promising badminton players by clinching the g irls U-15 singles title at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China, the country where she first honed her skills in the sport.


Patri defeated Vietnam’s second seed Thi Thu Huyen Nguyen 22-20, 21-11 in a 34-minute final, offering a glimmer of hope a fter Indian badminton’s recent struggles at the Paris Olympics. “I’m feeling good after winning the title,” Patri told PTI from Chengdu. “I had expected to win, and I’m happy I could do that. I’ve been training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bangalore for the last two years.”
 Patri won the title without dropping a game. Her parents, Rabinarayan Patri and Sailabala Panda, are software professionals who previously worked in China, where she first took up badminton. The family returned to India in 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic.


Vimal Kumar, director of PPBA, sees great promise in Tanvi, drawing comparisons to the early days of PV Sindhu. “She r eminds me of Sindhu when she was young. The ability to win matches at a young age is a good sign. She has long way to go, and with her temperament, she has potential,” said Vimal. 
PTI

Badminton World Federation Super 3

2023

Rajawat wins

April 10, 2023: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat clinched his maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title after getting the better of Denmark's Magnus Johannesen in the thrilling final of the Orleans Masters 2023.

The match went to the wire before Rajawat saw off world number 49 Johannesen 21-15, 19-21, 21-16 in a gruelling 68-minute summit clash to claim the biggest title of his career.

The 21-year-old from Madhya Pradesh was a part of the Indian team that registered an epic win at the 2022 Thomas Cup.

The two shuttlers, making it to the final after coming through the qualifiers, dished out some superb badminton but the Indian rode on his ability to produce winners and precision to secure the world tour super 300 crown.

It was the first meeting between the two 21-year-olds, both looking for a breakthrough win but Rajawat, who didn't drop a game in the $240,000 tournament, showed his maturity as he dished out a controlled aggressive game to come up trumps.

The image of an airborne Rajawat unleashing a forehand crosscourt jump smash to trouble his opponent will be etched in the mind of the spectators, as he accumulated multiple points with this trademark shot.

A year ago, Rajawat had returned early from Orleans when it was a super 100 event, but the tournament was upgraded to super 300 from this year, and the Indian made the most of the opportunity.

Rajawat, who picked up the sport as a six-year-old, made a positive start to the final but Johannesen kept a good length to not allow the Indian to play his attacking game initially.

However, the Indian soon opened up the court with his range of strokes and moved to 6-5 with two aggressive returns on the left-handed Dane's backhand.

A precise toss on the backline from Rajawat coupled with a long shot from his rival helped the Indian move to 9-7. He then unleashed a backhand smash and then produced another winner to take a three-point cushion at the mid-game interval.

Rajawat showed great anticipation, which allowed him to get into position early and bring down the shuttle with a thwack. Two cross-court smashes helped the Indian create a yawning gap at 18-11. He misfired a few before unleashing a looping return on the backline to move to five game points and sealed the opening game with another cross-court winner.

After the change of sides, Johannesen strengthened his defence while Rajawat botched up some of his shots to allow the Dane lead 6-3.

Rajawat repeatedly found the net as the Dane led 8-5. Two clear winners kept the Indian in the hunt but Johannesen managed to go into the break with a three-point cushion this time.

Rajawat fell into a pool of errors to allow the Dane increase the gap to 14-9.

The Indian clawed back at 17-15, producing some accurate winners but a hard-working Johannesen again grabbed the lead and jumped to three game points with Rajawat committing errors.

The Indian saved two game points but Rajawat sent another one to the net as the Dane took the match to the decider.

Rajawat zoomed to 5-0 and then 7-2 in the third game, after producing a series of winners but Johannesen's defence soon started to withstand the onslaught as he narrowed it down to 7-8 after winning an incredible 54-shot rally.

With Rajawat misfiring, the Dane drew parity at 9-9 but the Indian managed to gain a small two-point cushion after producing two winners.

After the final changeover, the Indian got a second wind as he extended his lead to four points after winning another superb rally. Rajawat kept the rallies in his firm grip and soon grabbed seven championship points with another cross-court smash.

He hit wide thrice before pushing the shuttle at the back court on a return to serve, and lifted his hand in celebration.

(With PTI Inputs)

BWF Para Badminton World Championships

2022

Nov 7, 2022: The Times of India

Tokyo : Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat and promising Manisha Ramadass emerged champions as India finished with a total of 16 medals at the BWF Para Badminton World Champion ships. Taking the court first, Bhagat defended his men’s singles SL3 title in style as he defeated compatriot Nitesh Kumar 21-19, 21-19 in 53 minutes to clinch the gold medal. 
For Ramadass, it was a dream come true moment as she beat local star Mamiko Toyoda 21-15, 21-15 in women’s singles SU5 finals.


Having started playing senior international only in March this year, it was definitely a milestone for the 17-year-old from Chennai, who stayed dominant throughout the match. 
Bhagat now has 11 m edals, including six gold, two silver and three br onze medals in the world championships. He has the distinction of reaching the finals in all the editions, barring 2007 and 2017World Championships.


Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar had to settle for silver in the men’s doubles SL3-SL4 event after the duo squandered a game advantage to lose to Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani and Ukun Rukaendi 21-14, 18-21, 13-21.

Indian challenge ends in Hylo Open Saarbrucken:

Kidambi Srikanth and women’s doubles pair of Tressa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost their respective semifinal matches in contrasting fashion to end India’s challenge at the Hylo Open Super 300 tournament here. Srikanth went down to world No. 6 Anthony Ginting of Indonesia 18-21, 15-21 in a match that lasted 38 minutes on Saturday night. The doubles duo of Tressa and Gayatri conceded a 18-15 lead in the decider to lose to eighth seed Thai sisters, Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard 21-17, 14-21, 18-21 in a gruelling contest lasting more than an hour. PTI

BWF World championships

2021

A

Sindhu loses final group match:  Already Assured of a semifinal berth at the BWF World Tour Finals, PV Sindhu on Friday suffered a threegame defeat to top seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in her third and final group A women’s singles match in Bali on Friday. Earlier, Kidambi Srikanth bowed out of the tournament after losing to Malaysian Lee Zii 19-21, 14-21

B: Sindhu wins silver

Dec 5, 2021: The Times of India

BALI: Indian badminton ace P V Sindhu settled for a silver medal at the BWF World Tour Finals after going down meekly against Korean teen sensation An Seyoung in the summit clash.

Sindhu, the reigning world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, could neither match the pace nor breach the defence of the world number six Korean, losing 16-21 12-21 in the 40-minute lop-sided clash.

It was Sindhu's third successive loss -- all straight games -- to the Korean in as many meetings.

With this victory, An Seyoung became the first ever South Korean woman to win the season-ending title.

It was also her third straight title in Bali, following wins at the Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open in the last two weeks. Making her third final appearance in the year-end tournament, world number seven Sindhu looked a pale shadow of the player who had claimed the title in 2018 to become the only Indian to achieve the feat.

Up against the 19-year-old Korean, Sindhu once again looked short of ideas. She couldn't mount her attacking game or make use of the full court.

An Seyoung looked more polished at the nets and rode on her good quality of strokes. She produced some sensational full stretch diving saves with her swift movement to blunt Sindhu's game plan.

The Indian had a forgettable start and was left to fight a tough battle after lagging 0-4.

Sindhu played a good rally to log her first points with a cross court return. She tried to narrow the gap by engaging her rival in rallies but An Seyoung was quick on her feet and showed better anticipation to always keep her nose ahead.

The Korean doubled the lead to 16-8 after resumption. Sindhu tried to make up the deficit with a few good points but the Korean managed to collect eight game points.

Sindhu saved four game points by putting pressure on her opponent's backhand, while the Korean also sent one long. An Seyoung, however, sealed the opening game with a body return. The second game started on an even keel with Sindhu managing to take a 5-4 lead for the first time but the agile Korean was quick to wrest back the lead after the Indian went long twice.

The teen shuttler soon extended her lead to 10-6 as she was relentless in the rallies, sending everything back to Sindhu. A razor sharp return on her opponent's forehand gave her a 11-8 advantage at the break.

After the interval, An Seyoung continued to control the proceedings, galloping to a 15-8 lead with another exceptional full dive return.

In a jiffy, An Seyoung grabbed a massive 10 match points. Sindhu saved two before sending one to the net as the Korean celebrated. Sindhu will next look to defend her title at the World Championships in Huelva, Spain starting December 12.

C

Dec 5, 2021: The Hindu

This was Sindhu's third final appearance in the tournament. She had won the title in 2018 to become the only Indian to achieve the feat.

Indian badminton ace P V Sindhu settled for a silver medal at the BWF World Tour Finals after going down meekly against Korean teen sensation An Seyoung in the summit clash.

Sindhu, the reigning world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, could neither match the pace nor breach the defence of the world number six Korean, losing 16-21 12-21 in the 40-minute lop-sided clash.

It was Sindhu's third successive loss, all straight games, to the Korean in as many meetings.

With this victory, An Seyoung became the first ever South Korean woman to win the season-ending title.

It was also her third straight title in Bali, following wins at the Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open in the last two weeks.

Making her third final appearance in the year-end tournament, world number seven Sindhu looked a pale shadow of the player who had claimed the title in 2018 to become the only Indian to achieve the feat. Up against the 19-year-old Korean, Sindhu once again looked short of ideas. She couldn't mount her attacking game or make use of the full court.

An Seyoung looked more polished at the nets and rode on her good quality of strokes. She produced some sensational full stretch diving saves with her swift movement to blunt Sindhu's game plan.

The Indian had a forgettable start and was left to fight a tough battle after lagging 0-4.

Sindhu played a good rally to log her first points with a cross court return. She tried to narrow the gap by engaging her rival in rallies but An Seyoung was quick on her feet and showed better anticipation to always keep her nose ahead.

The Korean doubled the lead to 16-8 after resumption. Sindhu tried to make up the deficit with a few good points but the Korean managed to collect eight game points.

Sindhu saved four game points by putting pressure on her opponent's backhand, while the Korean also sent one long. An Seyoung, however, sealed the opening game with a body return.

The second game started on an even keel with Sindhu managing to take a 5-4 lead for the first time but the agile Korean was quick to wrest back the lead after the Indian went long twice.

The teen shuttler soon extended her lead to 10-6 as she was relentless in the rallies, sending everything back to Sindhu. A razor sharp return on her opponent's forehand gave her a 11-8 advantage at the break.

D

M Ratnakar , Dec 16, 2021: The Times of India

PV Sindhu tamed her recent tormentor Pornpawee Chochuwong with a commanding straight game victory 21-14, 21-18 in the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Championships in Huelva, Spain. While, former World No.1, Kidambi Srikanth is just one victory away from winning his first medal at the Worlds. In the pre-quarterfinals Srikanth defeated Lu Guang Zu of China in straight games 21-10, 21-15. In the quarterfinals, the world No.14 Indian will face world No.28 Mark Caljouw of The Netherlands. This would be the first meeting between the two.

However, the Indian challenge ended in doubles with the unexpected exit of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The duo lost to ninth seeds Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia 22-20, 18-21, 15-21. Earlier, Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy suffered a straight game loss in women's doubles against Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand 13-21, 15-21.

Living up to the tag as a big tournament player, Sindhu raised her game and avenged her last two losses against the Thailand shuttler. Chochuwong defeated Sindhu at the All England Championships and at the recent BWF World Tour Finals. In the next round Sindhu will face here nemesis Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei. Tai dropped a game before beating Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-10, 19-21, 21-11. Sindhu told the BWF website that it is very important to win against Chochuwong. "Very important to get back because I lost to her the last two times. I had to be focussed from the first point," Sindhu told the BWF website.

Though Tai enjoys a 14-5 win-loss record against Sindhu, the top seed will be under a lot of pressure because she had never crossed the semifinal stage.

Sindhu last defeated her in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Championships. Thai avenged that loss by drubbing Sindhu in the Olympic semifinals.

Sindhu said that she finds it encouraging when people say that she does well at big events.

"Tomorrow it's against Tai. We're playing after the Olympics, I just want to do my best because it's going to be tough. People keep telling me I do well at World Championships and Olympics, so I take it as a positive thing. I just don't know why that happens, but that's good," Sindhu said, adding that at times it will be difficult to anticipate Tai's shots.

"Tai is a tricky player and has very good skills so it's not going to be easy. At times you won't be able to anticipate her shots, but you have to make sure you're always in the match, making sure you take all the shots, and you have to be patient. The key is to pick all her shuttles, to keep it in the court," she added.

E

Vidit Dhawan, Dec 18, 2021: RepublicWorld

Lakshya Sen guaranteed himself and India a second medal by defeating China's Jun Peng Zhao 21-15, 15-21 and 22-20 in what ended as a closely fought contest.

Alongside Kidambi Srikanth, 20-year old Lakshya Sen also assured India a second medal at the BWF World Championships.

Both shuttlers entered the men's singles semi-finals after dominating performances. Meanwhile, reigning champion PV Sindhu is out of the tournament after losing to Tai Tzu Ying in the women's category.

Lakshya Sen assures India of second medal

Debutant Lakshya Sen guaranteed himself and India a second medal by defeating China's Jun Peng Zhao 21-15, 15-21 and 22-20 in what ended as a closely fought contest. Even though the 20-year old Indian started on the back foot, having lost five of the first seven points in the first set, he quickly tied the scores at 6-6 after hitting two outstanding smashes.

The two shuttlers continued to go neck and neck until Zhao scored two back to back points to gain an 11-9 advantage at the interval. Soon after, the two engaged in a fantastic 30-shot rally, with Sen coming out on top to take a 14-13 lead. While the Chinese player showed his quickness on the court, it was not enough to beat the accurate shot play of the Indian. Sen eventually took the first set 21-15 by making a stunning comeback after a slow start.

F

Dec 19, 2021: The Times of India

Kidambi Srikanth etched a new chapter in the history of Indian badminton when he waltzed into the men's singles final of the World Badminton Championship with a hard fought victory over compatriot Lakshya Sen 17-21, 21-14, 21-17.

The 28-year-old former world No.1 will be the first Indian to play the men’s singles final. Prakash Padukone in 1983 and Sai Praneeth in 2019 had lost in the semifinals of the Worlds.

After winning four Super Series titles in 2017, Srikanth’s form nosedived and his performance in Huelva, Spain on Saturday, when he made his first final in 34 weeks, should do his confidence good in the final.

It was a tough win for the 28-year-old as 20-year-old Lakshya gave his senior a tough time and looked like making it to the final. Had he done so, Lakshya would have become the youngest ever to achieve that feat.

It was a see-saw battle in the first game. Lakshya gained an upper hand after the sixth point and went into the break with an 11-8 lead. Thereafter, when the youngster was cruising ahead at 15-11, Srikanth came back with three smashes to level it 16-16. However, at 17-17 Srikanth missed a sitter and found the net. He then lost the next three points with two more unforced errors.

After winning the first game, Lakshya started on a strong note in the second, leading 8-4. At this stage, Srikanth upped his game. Playing smashes with ease and moving Lakshya all over the court, Srikanth won seven of the last eight points to lead 11-9 at the break.

Lakshya made a brief recovery, but Srikanth powered ahead by winning points at will and forcing Lakshya to make mistakes. Such was his dominance that he won 17 of the last 23 points and clinched the winner in style with a crosscourt jump smash

In the third game, Lakshya got better at the mid-game stage. Both the players were involved in long rallies. A 50-shot rally was required to fetch the fourth point for Srikanth.

Srikanth fought back from three-point deficit more than twice in the decider, but in the end the seasoned campaigner kept his nerves and forced Lakshya to make errors towards the end of the match.

In the final, Srikanth will face Singapore's Loh Kean Yew, who defeated Denmark's Anders Antonsen 23-21, 21-14 in the other semifinal.

World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei reached her first final at Worlds with a 21-17, 13-21, 21-14 victory against He Bing Jiao of China. She will face Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, who downed Zhang Yi Man of China 21-19, 21-19.

Results (SFs):

Men: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind) bt Lakshya Sen (Ind) 17-21, 21-14, 21-17

Women: Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) bt He Bing Jiao (Chn) 21-17, 13-21, 21-14; Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Zhang Yi Man 21-19, 21-19.

G

Dec 21, 2021: The Times of India

Loh Kean Yew was celebrating a “dream-cometrue” after becoming the first Singaporean to win a badminton world championship, despite carrying an ankle injury.

The 22nd-ranked Loh stunned India’s world number 14 Srikanth Kidambi 21-15, 22-20 in the men’s singles final to clinch the BWF World Championship in Huelva. It capped a stunning run at the tournament in Spain, which saw the 24-year-old Loh beat Olympic champion and world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark as well as world number three and fellow Dane Anders Antonsen.

BWF World Championships

2023

A

Aug 26, 2023: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian badminton player HS Prannoy won a hard-earned bronze medal at the BWF World Championships, following a fiercely fought semi-final clash against Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The thrilling match, lasting a captivating 1 hour and 15 minutes, saw the World No.9 Prannoy giving his all against the formidable third-ranked player, Vitidsarn.

Prannoy eventually lost the tightly contested last-four match 21-18, 13-21, 14-21.

Prannoy displayed his prowess by triumphing in the opening game with a score of 21-18, after an intense battle against Vitidsarn. However, the momentum shifted in the second game, where Vitidsarn surged ahead to a commanding 11-7 lead during the break, eventually sealing the game with a score of 21-13.

With the match delicately poised, both players entered the decisive third game with determination. Vitidsarn continued to exert pressure, securing an 11-7 lead during the break. The Thai player maintained his advantage, ultimately emerging victorious with a score of 21-14 in the third game, thereby clinching the match and the coveted spot in the final.

Prannoy's remarkable journey to the semi-finals was highlighted by his stunning victory over the two-time defending champion, Denmark's Viktor Axelsen. The 31-year-old athlete, hailing from Kerala, overcame the World No.1 player in a gripping quarterfinal match that lasted for 68 minutes, with scores of 13-21, 21-15, and 21-16.

Prannoy's bronze medal extends India's impressive track record in the BWF World Championships. His achievement contributes to India's collection of 14 medals in the prestigious competition, underscoring the nation's growing prominence on the global badminton stage.

Among the prominent medalists, PV Sindhu stands out with her five medals, including a gold in 2019. Saina Nehwal, another celebrated name, has secured two medals, a silver and bronze. Additionally, medalists in the singles category include Kidambi Srikanth (silver), Lakshya Sen (bronze), B Sai Praneeth (bronze), and the legendary Prakash Padukone (bronze).

In previous editions, Indian badminton continued to shine. The duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty claimed bronze, while the women's doubles team of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa earned their own bronze in 2011.

Prannoy's outstanding performance not only showcases his prowess but also emphasises India's ongoing excellence in badminton.

B

Manne Ratnakar, August 23, 2023: The Times of India

HS Prannoy went down fighting to Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-18, 13-21, 14-21 in the semifinals of the BWF World Championships in Copenhagen. A semifinal finish earned him a bronze.


The 31-year-old became the fifth Indian man to win a medal at the Worlds after Prakash Padukone, Sai Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen. While Srikanth won a silver in 2021, the rest bagged bronze medals.


PV Sindhu is the only Indian to win the championship (2019) while Saina won a silver and bronze. Sindhu has five medals — one 1 gold, two silver and two bronze. Prannoy continued the tradition of an Indian winning at least a medal at the Worlds since 2013.


Canada Open

2023

A

Manne Ratnakar, July 9, 2023: The Times of India

PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen stormed into the semifinals of the Canada Open. While Sindhu trounced Gao Fang Jie of China 21-13, 21-7, Sen recovered to oust Belgian qualifier Julien Carraggi 21-8, 17-21, 21-10 in the BWF Super-500 tournament in Calgary.


The two shuttlers are looking to get back into rhythm before next month’s World championships and Asiad in September. Lakshya has already knocked out second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the first round and Sindhu registered her first victory against Jie in four meetings.

Since January, Sindhu has competed in 11 tournam ents and r eached the semifinals thrice while this would be the second semifinal appearance for Lakshya in 12 tournaments. Sindhu moved swiftly on the court and her retrieving was good. She dominated the rallies and her pace unsettled Jie, who committed a number of unforced errors. But the real challenge for Sindhu will be her semifinal against world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi. Sindhu enjoys a 14-10 win-loss record against the Japanese top seed. But her semifinal show will help Sindhu gauge her form as Yamaguchi is in great form, having won four titles this year.

Second seed Ratchanok In tanon of Thailand reached the final after her semifinal opponent Beiwen Zhang gave her a walkover.

Unseeded Lakshya will square off against fourth seed Kenta Nishimotoin the semis.

B

Manne Ratnakar, July 10, 2023: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen upset fourth seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan 21-17, 21-14 to reach his first final of the year at the Canada Open BWF Super-500 tournament.


PV Sindhu’s issues related to her form against top players continued. On Sunday at Calgary, she failed to get past Akane Yamaguchi. The Japanese top seed trounced Sindhu in straight games 21-14, 21-15. After dominating the Indian in the firstgame, Yamaguchi fought back from a 9-13 deficit in the second game to win the match.


The day belonged to Lakshya, who outclassed the higher ranked Nishimoto. This is the first final appearance for Lakshya after 15 months.


The last time he reached the final was in All England in March 2022. Thereafter, health issues slowed down his pace and his ranking dropped to world No. 25 from No. 6. Lakshya did not have a good start in the final as Nishimoto opened with a 4-0 lead. But once he gained control over the shuttle he looked a completely different player. He caught up with Nishimoto at 8-8 and from 11-11 he scored five straight points to widen the gap over his opponent with exemplary netplay.


“It was a pretty bad start, I couldn’t control the shuttle well. The moment I got the rhythm at the net I got better. Near-perfect netplay was the key and we were both trying to do that,” Lakshya told BWF after the victory.


Once he started collecting points at the net, Lakshya dominated his opponent. “Eventually I took control at the net, the smashes were also working. Overall, good tactical game I played and I am happy with my performance,” Lakshya said. 
Incidentally, this is Lakshya’s second appearance in the final of a BWF Super-500 event. 


He will now take on reigning All England champion Li Shi Feng of China, who downed Kodai Naraoka of Japan in straight games 21-8, 21-11.


Lakshya enjoys a 4-2 career record against Li and defeated him in the second round of Thailand Open last month.

C

Manne Ratnakar, July 11, 2023: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen ended his yearlong title drought with a stunning 21-18, 22-20 win over All England champion Li Shi Feng in the Canada Open BWF Super-500 final in Calgary. This is Sen’s first title after the Commonwealth Games gold last August. 


After a splendid season last year, where he won the India Open Super-500 tournament, reached the All England final and won the CWG gold, Lakshya underwent surgery (septoplasty) on his nose late last year and struggled for form thereafter.


Despite reaching two semifinals, Lakshya looked to be at his best only in this tournament, where he outclassed second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the first round and Li in the final. 
He made a strong statement the way he came back from 16-20 in the second game. “I am very happy to win this tournament. I thank all those who supported me. Today I played the right game,” Lakshya said after the victory.

He said he was in no mood to give up at 16-20. “Towards the second game, it was difficult for me to predict anything because I was trailing all the way. All I could think of was to cover the lead. Even when I was trailing, I never thought I would lose this set. I went all out to score key points. The key was to remain patient,” he said.

Li praised Lakshya for the fighting spirit and said these kind of matches are good for badminton. “Li is a difficult opponent to play. He played a very good game but I did well at crucial times,” Lakshya said.

Lakshya’s two-minute display of his talent towards the end of the second game, when he won six straight points, was a good exhibition of his fighting ability.

At 16-20, he saved the first game point with a terrific body smash. The next one was a down the line jump smash winner. Then there was a perfect dribble at the net. Two ferocious jump smash winners from 19-20 helped him move to 21-20. Lakshya then came up with some deft work at the net and once he got the height, he closed the contest with a power-packed straight smash. The five smash winners were also a result of some superb retrieving by Lakshya.

Missing out on titles made him more determined and the hunger to excel could be seen in the manner he moved on the court in the final.

Lakshya will travel to America this week to collect some points from the US Open Super-300 tournament. The task for Lakshya, who is ranked 19 now, is to get into the top16 and be one of the two ranked Indian men. Only two Indians qualify for the Olympics if they are in the top-16 of the rankings.

D

Krishna-Vishnu win: Indian men’s doubles pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala entered the second round with a straight-game win but former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap exited from the Canada Open badminton tournament. World No. 37 pair of Krishna and Vishnuvardhan registered a 21-14, 21-16 win over Chen Zhi Ray and Lu Chen of Chinese Taipei in the Round of 32.

2024

A

July 7, 2024: The Times of India

Calgary : Continuing his dream run, rising Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat (in pic)stunned top seed and world number four Anders Antonsen of Denmark to cruise into the semifinals of the Canada Open here. World number 39 Rajawat defeated Antonsen 21-11, 17-21, 21-19 in a gruelling one hour 19 minutes quarterfinal on Friday night.
However, the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand made a quarterfinal exit. The thirdseeded Indians were handed a18-21 21-19 16-21 defeat by Chinese Taipei’s Pei Shan Hsieh and En-Tzu Hung. The win against Antonsen is the 22-year-old Rajawat’s first-ever victory over a top-10 player. He will take on Alex Lanier of France in what will be his second World Tour Super 500 semifinal.


Rajawat was off to a bright start, taking a 7-4 lead in the opening game before Antonsen levelled it at 9-9. The Indian then picked up five points on the trot to gain the upper hand and while the Dane tried to fashion a comeback, Raja- wat claimed seven successive points to take the first game.


Trailing 0-1, Antonsen made a strong comeback in the second game and although Rajawat matched him, even levelling the game at 17, he lost four straight points as the world No. 4 forced a decider. In the final game, Rajawat initially led 5-1, but Antonsen responded with six consecutive points, bringing the score to 7-5 in favour of the Danish player. Rajawat staged a comeback by winning three points but the experienced Dane entered the mid-game break with a slender 11-10 lead. With little differentiating the two players, it could have been anybody’s game but at 19-19 Rajawat won back-to-back points to seal the match.


Rajawat is the only Indian left in the competition. He had pulled off victories against higher-ranked opponents -world number 24 Rasmus Gemke of Denmark and Japan’s Takuma Obayashi, ranked 33rd, in the first and second rounds respectively. 
PTI

China Masters BWF Super-750 tournament

2023

A

Manne.Ratnakar, Nov 23, 2023: The Times of India

Lakshya, Srikanth crash out

It was a bad day for Indian shuttlers as all of them suffered first round defeats in the China Masters BWF Super-750 tournament in Shenzhen on Wednesday. Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Priyanshu Rajawat and the women's doubles pair of Rutuparna Panda and S wetaparna Panda crashed out. The Pandas lost to Chinese seventh seeds Zhang Shu Xian and Zheng Yu 15-21, 9-21.


Lakshya suffered a 21-19, 21-18 defeat to China’s seventh seed Shi Yu Qi. This is Lakshya’s fifth consecutive first round loss as the former All England finalist is struggling for form after a health issue late last year. A late rally towards the end was not enough for Lakshya in the first game. Trailing 15-18, Lakshya scored three points but Shi prevailed. Though Lakshya equalised at 18-18 in the second game, Shi reeled off three straight points to take the match. With this loss, Lakshya is out of the year-end Tour Finals.


Srikanth dominated world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the first game, but lost his way in the second. He was in the game till 10-10 before Kunlavut scored 11 of the last 15 points to force the decider. Scoring a number of points around the net, Kunlavut came up with six points from 15-13 to win the third game. Priyanshu Rajwat failed to capitalise on lead in both games and lost 17-21, 14-21 to Kenta Nishimoto of Japan.

B

Manne.Ratnakar, Nov 25, 2023: The Times of India

Satwik-Chirag pair in semis

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the semifinals of the China Masters BWF Super-750 tournament with a 21-16, 21-14 victory against Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin of Indonesia. However, HS Prannoy succumbed 9-21, 14-21 to Kodai Naraoka in Shenzhen on Friday. The third-seeded Japanese shuttler dominated the eighth-seeded Indian and won in 43 minutes. Relying completely on rallies, Naraoka came up with some stunning diving saves near the net and displayed a lot of patience during a controversial umpiring decision at 9-8 in the second game.


The chief referee was called in to solve the issue. Naraoka, who lost a point there did not get rattled and in fact won the point after the longest rally of the match (59 shots). From 12-12 he widened the gap as Prannoy hit at least four shuttles into the net and a few wide to help Naraoka win the game with a big margin.


Earlier, Satwik-Chirag faced stiff resistance in the first game from Leo-Daniel. From 14-14, the Indians took a three-point lead. Chirag’s quick service return confused Daniel, who hit the shuttle high enabling Satwik to score a smash winner. The Indians dominated the next two rallies to make it 17-14. Later a couple of unforced errors from the Indonesians helped the Indians to win the first game easily.


The top-seeded Indians dominated the second game. From 6-5, they won five of the next six points with the help of three smash winners and a couple of power-packed drives.
After the break, it was Indians all the way. They retrieved well and controlled the game. Using the same tactics they extended the lead to 17-10, leaving very little chance for the Indonesians to make a comeback.


In the semifinals, Satwik-Chirag will face He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu of China.

C

Manne Ratnakar, Nov 27, 2023: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost in the final of the China Masters BWF Super-750 tournament in Shenzhen. The world No.5 Indians went down to the world No.1 Chinese duo of Lian Wei Keng and Wang Chang 19-21, 21-18, 19-21 in the men’s doubles final.


A splendid late rally by the Indians in the decider rattled the Chinese but was not enough . Trailing 13-20 in the decider, Satwik-Chirag saved six championship points before the Chinese had the last laugh. Saving six match points is no mean task but a net chord saved the day for the Chinese.
At 19-20, the teams were involved in a fiercely-contested rally. After a few exchanges, Chang Wang's return brushed the net. A confused Chirag lifted the shuttle a bit high enabling Wang to secure a smash winner. The valiant show by the Indians in the final of a major tournament will surely bolster their confidence.


But the Indians have themselves to blame for allowing the Chinese to secure a 8-1 lead in the crucial third game. Coming back from such a deficit against a top team is always a herculean task. But the never-say-die attitude of the Indians enabled them to come close to an unlikely victory. After taking the second game, Satwik-Chirag showed unnecessary urgency in the third. They made too many unforced errors at the start and conceded a big lead. 
This is the first loss in the finals for Satwik-Chirag in 2023. They have won the Swiss Open, Indonesia Open, Korea Open, Asian Championships and the gold at the Asian Games.


Japan's Kodai Naraoka defeated compatriot Kenta Nishimoto 21-13, 21-13 to win the men's singles title. China's Chen Yu Fei emerged women's singles champion after her teammate Han Yue retired after the second game 18-21, 21-4.


In an all-Japanese women's doubles final, Nami Matsu yama and Chiharu S hida defeated Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota 21-18, 21-11.


Chinese top seeds Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong bagged the mixed doubles title. In the final they defeated Korea's Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung 21-10, 21-11.

Denmark Open

2021: Sindhu enters quarters of Denmark Open

India’s double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu reached the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open Super 1000 tournament in Odense after three hard-fought games against her opponent from Thailand. Sindhu won after a struggle against Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-16, 12-21, 21-15 in 67 minutes in her last 16 match. This is Sindhu’s first tournament since winning the bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

Dutch Open

2021: Lakshya Sen loses in final

Oct 17, 2021: The Times of India

Defending champion Lakshya Sen of India lost to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the men’s singles final of the Dutch Open 2021 here on Sunday. The world No 25 and tournament top seed Sen went down to the 41st-ranked Yew 12-21, 16-21 in the final, which lasted for 36 minutes.

On his way to the final, he had defeated Canada’s Xiaodong Sheng, Portugal’s Bernardo Atilano, Singapore’s Jia Heng Teh and Belgium’s Julien Carraggi in the earlier rounds. The 20-year-old Indian had won the men’s singles title in the 2019 edition of the Dutch Open and was the topseed this year.

The other Indians in the men’s singles, including Ajay Jayaram, Siril Verma, and Rahul Chittaboina, lost in the opening round of the tournament that began on Wednesday. Priyanshu Rajawat also suffered a first-round defeat. PTI

French Open

2021

A

Oct 30, 2021: The Times of India

Star shuttler PV Sindhu continued her impressive run at the French Open badminton tournament by sailing into the women’s singles semifinals with a straightgame win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan here on Friday.

Sindhu, seeded third, scripted a convincing 21-14, 21-14 win over eighth seeded in 38 minutes to extend her dominating head-to-head record against the Thai to 14-1. The world number seven Indian will now cross swords with Japan’s world number 15 Sayaka Takahashi in the last four.

However, young turk Lakshya Sen’s fine run ended in the men’s singles quarterfinal after he lost 17-21, 15-21 to Korea’s Heo Kwanghee in 43 minutes.

The 20-year-old from Almora had notched up a comfortable straight game win over Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the pre-quarters to grab a place in the last eight. On Thursday, men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded fifth, beat MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila 15-21, 21-10, 21-19 in an all-Indian clash to reach the quarterfinals. The duo will meet fourth seeded Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik next. PTI

B

Sindhu loses in semifinals of French Open

Paris: India’s double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu failed to reach the women’s singles summit clash after going down fighting to Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi in three games at the French Open badminton tournament. The 26-year-old from Hyderabad squandered a one-game advantage to lose 21-18 16-21 12-21.

French Open BWF World Tour 750

2022

A

Manne Ratnakar, Oct 29, 2022: The Times of India

Top Indian doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated top seeds and former world champions, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan, 23-21, 21-18 in the quarterfinals of the French Open BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament in Paris.

Despite facing stiff resistance from the Japanese pair in the first game, Indians kept their nerves to preva il over their opponents. Leading 20-16, Satwik-Chirag failed to capitalise on five game points but managed to squeeze past their rivals.


In the second game, they fought back from 16-18 with a five-point bu rst. In the semifinals, the world No. 8 Indians will square up against Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho. The South Koreans are ranked No. 18 in the world.


On Friday, HS Prannoy,Samee r Verma and Kidambi Srikanth lost their second round matches in men’s singles. Lakshya Sen and Saina Nehwal suffered first round losses.

B

Manne Ratnakar, Oct 30, 2022: The Times of India

On an eventful day for Indian badminton in Europe, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the final of French Open BWF Super 750 tournament. An hour later, San kar Muthusamy sailed into the final of the World Junior Badminton Championship.


The world No. 8 men’s doubles pair knocked out Koreans Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho 21-18, 21-14 in Paris and Sankar eased past Panitchapon Teeraratsakul of Thailand 21-13, 21-15 in just 40 minutes in Santander, Spain.


This would be the second final appearance of the year for Satwik-Chirag after they won the India Op en Super 500 title in Delhi. The top doubles pair will also have their second crack at the French Open, having lost to their nemesis Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia in 2019. In the final, Satwik-Chirag will face the winners of the tie between Lu Ching Yao-Yang Po Han of Chinese Taipei and Ben Lane-Sean Vendy of England.

C

Oct 31, 2022: The Times of India

Three years after losing in the final, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the French Open Super 750 tournament with a straight-game victory against Lu Ching Yao and Yang Pa Han of Chinese T aipei 21-13, 21-19 in the final. 
The Indian duo, known for their attacking prowess, staved off a stiff challenge, particularly in the second game, to emerge triumphant.


This is the first BWF 750 tournament title for the duo. In the 2019 final in Paris, Satwik and Chirag had lost to the pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia. 
Despite beating several world champions and world No. 1 pairs in the last few years, Satwik-Chirag missed out on important titles.


Though they won two Super 500 tournaments — Thailand Open in 2019 and India Open i n 2022 — they never won a Super 750 or Super 1000 tournament. Their best show before Sunday was winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships and helpingIndia to win the historic Thomas Cu p title earlier this year.

2024

Satwik-Chirag make semis; Sindhu exits

Manne Ratnakar, March 9, 2024: The Times of India

Top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty cruised into the semifinals, but PV Sindhu lost 24-22, 17-21, 18-21 to Chen Yu Fei of China at the French Open BWF Super-750 tournament.

Satwik-Chirag defeated Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren of Thailand 21-19, 21-13. The world No. 1 pair is yet to lose a game in this tournament. From 16-18 in the first game, they moved to game point with four successive points. They dominated the second game too. In the semifinals on Saturday, they will face third seeds Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea.


Earlier, Sindhu put up a good fight against the reigning Olympic champion. The last time Sindhu defeated Yu Fei was when she won the World championship in 2019.


The one hour, 32 minute contest saw the best of Sindhu. Despite the result, Sindhu and her team will be satisfied with her game. In the three-game contest that had long rallies, deft drops and powerful smashes, Sindhu was her old self.


The first game saw Sindhu and Yu Fei in a close contest till 22-22 before Sindhu won two big points, the last one with a well-timed crosscourt drop.


In a change of plan, Yu Fei started playing long rallies in the second. Sindhu was up to the task and retrieved some very difficult drops. From 13-13, Yu Fei surged ahead as Sindhu committed a few unforced errors. The Chinese shuttler collected five straight points at this critical stage of the game. Sindhu’s brief recovery was not enough and the match entered the decider.


Like in the second game, Sindhu conceded five consecutive points which allowed Yu Fei to move from 11-12 to 16-12. Though Sindhu managed to reduce the gap to 15-16, the latter upped the ante with a couple of smash winners. In the semifinals, Yu Fei will play Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. From the top-half of the draw, South Korea’s An Se Young and Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying made it to the last four stage.

Satvik- Chirag win doubles title a second time

Manne Ratnakar, March 11, 2024: The Times of India

A dominant Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won their first title of the year with a 21-11, 21-17 victory against Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the final of the French Open BWF Super-750 tournament in Paris. They won the French Open in 2022 but lost in the second round last year. Though they made it to the finals of the all the three tournaments they played this year, this the their first title. They lost in the finals of the Malaysian Open and Indian Open tournaments.


The Indians were so dominant on Sunday that they took just 36 minutes to oust their rivals and this was the shortest final of the day. Satwik-Chirag did not lose a single game in the entire tournament.


With renewed vigour they will now compete in the All England Championships from Tuesday. The unseeded Taipei pair proved no match for the Indians as they broke free from 4-4 in the first game to wrap it up at 21-11. Though Lee and Yang did well in the second, it was only till the 14th point.

The Indians won seven of the next ten points. If it was Satwik’s smash that won the first game, Chirag full-blooded drive secured the match winning point for the Indian pair.
Late on Saturday, Lakshya Sen suffered a three-game loss against world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 22-20, 13-21, 11-21. On Sunday, Kunlavut lost to China’s Shi Yu Qi 20-22, 21-19 in the men’s singles final.

Top seed An Se Young of South Korea fought back after losing the first game to beat fourth seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 18-21, 21-13, 21-10 in the women’s singles final.


Chinese shuttlers won three of the five titles on Sunday. Shi Yu Qi triumphed in men’s singles, Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan pocketed women’s doubles title and Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping bagged the mixed doubles crown.


In women’s doubles, top seeds Chen and Jia pulled off a thrilling victory against Japanese sixth seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-12, 19-21, 24-22. Feng and Huang defeated Korean pair of Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung 21-16, 21-16 in the mixed doubles summit clash.

German Open

2022

A

March 11, 2022: The Times of India

Muelheim An Der Ruhr (Germany): Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the men’s quarterfinals but PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal bowed out from the German Open. Srikanth prevailed 21-16, 21-23, 21-18 over China's Lu Guang Zu in second round. Sindhu suffered a 14-21, 21-15, 14-21, loss to China's Zhang Yi Man in the women's singles second round. Saina also proved no match against eighth seeded Thai Ratchanok Intanon, g oing down 10-21, 15-21 in a lop-sided contest. PTI

B

March 13, 2022: The Times of India

Muelheim An Der Ruhr: World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen stunned Olympic gold winner Viktor Axelsen in a hardfought match to enter the final of German Open Super 300 tourname nt here on Saturday. The 20-year-old Sen, who had claimed his maiden Super 500 title at the India Open in January, continued his rich vein of form as he sent the world No. 1 and top-seed Axelsen packing with a 2113 12-21 22-20 win in the semi-final that lasted over an hour.


Sen became the first Indian shuttler to reach the finals of the German Open Superseries. It was a Grand Prix Gold event in 2014 when fellow countrymen Arvind Bhat had reached the summit clash. It was a memorable performance from the world No. 12 Indi an as he recorded his first win over his highly-fancied rival who has a4-0 head-to-head record before Saturday’s match.

In the summit clash on Sunday, Sen will face Thailand’ s Kunlavut Vitidsarn who, too, scored an upset win over Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, the fifth seed, 21-13, 21-12 in the other semi-final. Sen was ahead throughout the first game that lasted 21 mi nutes. He did not give the Dane any chance to get ahead of him. Axelsen found it difficult to match Sen’s pace. PTI

C

March 14, 2022: The Times of India

Hyderabad: A day after stunning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, Lakshya Sen faltered in the final of the German Open Super 300 tournament, losing to Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 18-21, 15-21.


S truggling with blisters on his left foot, Lakshya, who took two medical breaks, looked brilliant in patches in the final in Muelheim an der Ruhr.

The long three-match duel against Axelsen appeared to hav e taken a toll as Lakshya was slow off the blocks. Vitidsarn started with a 3-0 lead in the first game and even before Lakshya settled down, the former world junior champion was leading 13-6.

Lakshya slowly gained ground and wiped off the margin with two three-point bursts to catch up with the Thai at 15-16. However, Vitidsarn won big points towards the end to clinch the first game at 21-18. In the second game, Vitidsarn started with a 7-2 lead and went into the break at 11-5. However a determined Lakshya won four straight points after the break despite taking a medic al break. Though he did not get much help from the medic, as the rule bars treatment for the same injury sec- ond time, Lakshya moved closer to his rival at 14-16. Just when it looked like the Indian was gaining the upper hand, Vitidsarn upped the ante. With a cross court smash, a drop and straightline smash, the 20-year-old Thai took the issue beyond the Indian.

The clash between the two 20-year-olds turned out to be treat for the crowd as both displayed aggression and control throughout the tie.

Despite the loss, Lakshya gave a good account of himself and has become the best Indian bet for the All England, which begins in Birmingham on Wednesday. Lakshya's victories against fourth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Thailand, HS Prannoy and Axelsen, makes hi m one of the favourites for the All England Championships.

Lakshya won his maiden Super 500 title when he triumphed at the India Open in January while German Open is the first tour title for Vitidsarn at the senior level.

Hong Kong Open BWF Super-500 tournament

2023

Sep 15, 2023: The Times of India

Indian challenge ends in Hong Kong


Kowloon: The two Indian women’s doubles pairs lost their second round matches, ending Indian challenge at the Hong Kong Open BWF Super-500 tournament in Kowloon. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost 8-21, 14-21 to seventh seeds Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti of Indonesia. Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lost 18-21, 7-21 against top seeds Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan.

Hylo Open

2021

A

Srikanth enters Hylo Open semis with hard-fought victory: Kidambi Srikanth outwitted NG Ka Long Angus in a hard-fought match to enter the semifinal of the Hylo Open on Friday. The sixth seed Srikanth subdued the higher-ranked Hong Kong shuttler 21-11, 12-21, 21-19 in a men’s singles quarterfinal that lasted 1 hour and four minutes. AGENCIES

Hylo Open Super 300

2024

A

Rakshitha upsets world No 25: Indian teenager Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj shocked Scottish world No. 25 Kirsty Gilmour 21-14, 21-12 to enter the quarterfinals in the Hylo Open at Saarbrucken (Germany) on Thursday. Other Indian shuttlers Malvika Bansod, Ayush Shetty and Satish Kumar Karunakaran also entered the last-eight in their respective categories. PTI

B

Malvika loses in Hylo final:


Shuttler Malvika Bansod’s run at the Hylo Open Super 300 concluded with a runner-up finish, as she fell to Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt 10-21, 15-21 in the final. The 23-year-old conceded the match in 43 min.

India Open

2022

Semi-finals 

January 15, 2022: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: World championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen progressed to the men's singles summit clash with a thrilling win but it was curtains for two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.

The 20-year-old Sen rallied his way to a 19-21 21-16 21-12 win over world number 60 Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong to enter his maiden World Tour Super 500 summit clash.

However, there was disappointment in store in women's singles as top seed and home favourite Sindhu lost 14-21 21-13 10-21 to sixth seeded Thai Supanida Katethong.

"I gave her a huge lead from the beginning. In the third game after it was 6-6, I should have taken a few points but she continued to lead. She is a good player. I played in Bali against her, her strokes are deceptive. I should have controlled the shuttles," Sindhu said after the match.

"At that time in Indonesia, my smashes were going to the corner or line but today my tosses and clears were going out or mid court and I was giving her a chance to attack. It was just not my day and she played well. I have to work on my mistakes," she added.

Young Aakarshi Kashyap too had a golden chance but she squandered five game points in the opening game to allow Busanan register a 26-24 21-9 win in the other women's singles semifinal.

Sen, seeded third, will face reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the summit clash on Sunday in a repeat of Dutch Open final last year.

"It is a good feeling to play my first super 500 final at my home country," said Sen, who had won two Super 100 titles -- Dutch Open and SaarLorLux Open -- besides three international challenges at Belgium, Scotland and Bangladesh in 2019.

"The first game was pretty close, I did some errors which cost me. But I kept my calm in the second and third game and managed to pull it off."

Loh, seeded fifth, was given a walkover in the other semi-finals by Canada's Brian Yang after developing a sore throat and headache. In the men's doubles, world number 10 pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy cruised to a 21-10 21-18 win over France duo of William Villeger and Fabien Delrue to make it to the finals.

Chirag and Satwik will square off against three-time world champion Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia on Sunday.

In other results, Indian women's doubles pair of Haritha Manazhiyil Harinarayan and Ashna Roy lost 12-21 9-21 to fourth seeded Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard of Thailand.

On Sunday, Sen will be itching to set the record straight after losing the Dutch Open final to Loh. Overall, the duo has a 2-2 head-to-head record with Sen losing two of the last three meetings.

"Both of us are playing well, it will be a good match tomorrow and I am really looking forward to playing him," Sen said about his final clash.

In the men's singles semifinals, both shuttlers showed their attacking prowess during the last-four clash.

Sen made his opponent move across the court with his returns and used his smashes to good effect to open up a four-point lead at 10-6 after being 2-4 down initially. The Indian entered the interval at 11-8 after Yong went wide. After the break, Sen came up with some stiff smashes to bother the Malaysian but he couldn't sustain the pressure as Yong made it 14-14. The Malaysian left Sen wrong-footed with a precise net shot to take the lead.

Yong then won a video referral to take a two point lead at 16-14. Sen controlled the proceeding thereafter to claw back at 17-17. However, Yong grabbed two game points when a return of serve from Sen went wide and sealed it comfortably.

Yong carried the momentum in the second game, opening up a 4-1 advantage. Sen did well to erase the deficit but Young ensured he had his nose ahead at the break.

Resuming at 9-11, Sen continued his pursuit to turn things around. He drew parity at 13-13 and crafted his way to a 19-16 lead with a powerful drive away from the forehand of his opponent. A net error from Yong gave Sen four game points and he sealed it when Yong again erred at the net.

In the decider, Sen made a confident start, leading 4-1 and then reached 9-5 with another cross court jump smash. He played another precision shot at the baseline and with Yong going wide, Sen entered the interval with a massive six-point advantage.

Sen went on a smash hitting spree thereafter to quickly jump to a 18-12 lead. He grabbed eight match points with a drop and sealed it without much ado after his opponent went to net again.

Sindhu, who had beaten Katethong at the Indonesia Masters last year, however, couldn't summon her best against an opponent ranked 33rd in the world.

She had no answers to her opponent's compact game as the opening game slipped through her fingers in a jiffy.

A rattled Sindhu dished out some aggressive returns after the change of sides to lead 4-2 and then managed a slender 11-10 lead at the break. She looked in control thereafter and soon grabbed eight game points. She squandered the first chance before roaring back into contest when Katethong erred.

The decider started as a close affair but Katethong soon eked out a slender 9-7 lead before entering the interval at 11-7.

Katethong was precise with her return and water-tight in her defence, attributes which helped her to move to 16-9 lead, before grabbing massive eight match points and sealed it when Sindhu went long again.

Indians win two finals

Manne Ratnakar, January 17, 2022: The Times of India

It turned out to be a doubly delightful Sunday for Indians at the India Open badminton in New Delhi. Lakshya Sen caused the biggest upset of his career when he stunned world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 24-22, 21-17 to win the men’s singles title at the Super-500 badminton tournament. Also, the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty shocked world champions Mohd Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia to claim their first India Open crown with a 21-16, 26-24 victory.

Lakshya (20), who announced his arrival on the big stage with a bronze at the World Championships in Spain recently, proved his performance there was no a flash in the pan as he dominated Loh.

The Almora boy, ranked 17 in the world, had nearly missed the tournament due to a false Covid test.

Lakshya was off the blocks in a flash in the summit calsh and went into the break up 11-8 in the first game. Controlling the rallies with effortless ease, Lakshya raced ahead to 16-9. However, Loh found his rthym and reduced the margin to 14-19.

From 14-19, Loh secured six straight points to move ahead at 20-19. Just when it looked like Lakshya would crumble under pressure, the youngster dug deep and displayed nerves of steel to save two game points before clinching the first game.

In the second game, Lakshya came out guns blazing with some ferocious cross-court smashes, putting Loh in a spot of bother. He made Loh move all over the court and gave no time for his opponent to settle down.

Surprised by the all-out attack by the Indian, Loh began making mistakes and lost rhythm. The Indian had a two-point advantage at the break and was up 16-10 before Loh succeeded in reducing the lead to 16-17. But at 19-17, Lakshya scored perhaps the two biggest points of his career to notch up a memorable victory.

Lakshya celebrated the win by flinging his racquet into the air and raising his arms in delight.

In an all-Thailand final, Busanan Ongbamrungphan defeated Supanida Katethong 22-20, 19-21, 21-13 to win the women’s singles title.

2024

Results of the finals

SATWIK-CHIRAG PAIR FALLS AT FINAL HURDLE

Indian Duo Goes Down Indian Duo Goes Down Fighting To Korean World Fighting To Korean World Champions Kang And SeoChampions Kang And Seo

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com


New Delhi : It was a perfect setting for the dynamic men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to annex their second India Open doubles title in front of a vociferous home crowd.

A packed K D Jadhav indoor hall of the Indira Gandhi stadium rallied behind the reigning Asian and CWG champion pair pitted against the South Korean pair of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae in the summit clash of the BWF Super 750 series event. 
The Indians did come out with their ‘A’ game in the opening round by winning it comfortably, but the reigning world champions Hyuk and Seung Jae made a sensational comeback in the second and third games to dash the hopes to clinch their first title of the season.


Satwik and Chirag fought hard but the Indian combination went down 15-21, 21-11, 21-18 in an hour and five minutes.


“We started off quite well but in the second game we were slow to start off, and in no time, we were down 5-11. From then on, it was quite difficult to come back and, yes, they (Kang and Seo) were quite a formidable defensive pair. Overall, we are sad, losing the final in our home tournament but there are a lot of positives, the last two weeks have been really good. We are still hungry and are not satisfied. We will start off again in the next few days for the All England and French Open,” Satwik said after the match.


Chirag added: “There was certain fatigue going into our second straight final in two weeks (after Malaysia). We have never played two back-toback finals in Super 500 or Super 750, so it’s a positive thing that we have been quite consistent. We just need to look at the bigger picture, and I know for a fact that things will eventually turn in our favour. In the past two years, we have worked a lot on our defence as well, and I think we have been defending quite well, especially in the past couple of months. We can see improvement in every aspect.”


In the final which kept everyone on the edge, the second-seeded Indians, who had won the title in 2022, started the match with an attacking approach. Playing with the wind, Satwik and Chirag engaged their opponents in flat exchanges. Though the Koreans managed to keep pace with them till 7-7, the Indians slowly pulled away with Chirag dominating the net exchanges to pocket the opening game in 18 minutes.


However, in the second game, the Indians committed quite a few unforced errors trying to attack the serve and quickly fell behind 1-5. Left-handed Seo managed to leave Chirag and Satwik flat-footed on a couple of occasions with his decep tive cross-court drives as the Koreans clinched nine straight points from 7-5 and then maintained that momentum to force the decider.


In the final game, the Koreans were again quick off the block and led 11-6. This is when the Indians began their fightback with Chirag once again attacking the net with precision. The Indians managed to close the gap to 18-19 and raised hopes of yet another come-from-behind win. But Seo’s cross-court push to Satwik’s forehand helped the Koreans earn their first match point and they made no mistake in wrapping things up on the very first attempt.


 RESULTS (FINALS)

Men’s singles: China’s Shi Yu Qi beat Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu 23-21, 21-17
 Women’s singles: Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying beat China’s Yu Fei 21-16, 21-12
 Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae 21-15, 11-21, 18-21 Women’s doubles: Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara beat China’s Zhang Shu Xian and Zheng Yu 21-12, 21-13
 Mixed doubles: Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai beat China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin 21-16, 21-16.

Indonesia Masters Super 100

2023

Sep 11, 2023: The Times of India

Kiran George won the Indonesia Masters Super-100 tournament in Medan, Indonesia. The Kochi shuttler downed Koo Takahashi of Japan in the final to win his first title of the year. The world No. 50 registered a straight-game victory against the world No.82 21-19, 22-20 in the 56-minute contest. Kiran, who trains at the Prakash Padukone Academy in Bengaluru, staved off a late challenge by Koo to bag his second Super-100 title. George won the Odisha Open Super-100 title last year.


Leading 19-15 in the second game, George suddenly lost momentum as Koo won four straight points and saved a match point before the Indian had the last laugh.


George will now travel to Hong Kong to compete in the qualifying rounds of the Super-500 tournament. He will face Chi Yu Chen of Chinese Taipei on Monday. Along with Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat and Mithun Manjunath, George is regarded as a talented shuttler who can carry on the legacy of his illustrious seniors in men’s singles. Earlier this year, George shocked former world No.2 Shi Yuqi and Weng Hong Yang of China at the Thailand Open.

Indonesia Open Super 1000

2021

A

Nov 27, 2021: The Times of India

Indias two-time Olympic medal-winning shuttler P V Sindhu came back from a game down to beat South Korea’s Sim Yujin and enter the semifinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament here on Friday. The men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty later beat Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 21-19 21-19 in straight games to also make the semifinals of the tournament, making it a great day for the Indian contingent.

Third seed Sindhu, the reigning world champion, had to toil hard to get the better of Yujin 14-21 21-19 21-14 in the quarterfinal that lasted an hour and six minutes. The Indian will play second seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, who got the better of Japan’s Asuka Takahashi 21-17 21-12. PTI

B

Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag lose in semis of Indonesia Open

P V Sindhu’s impressive campaign at the Indonesia Open came to an end after she lost her hard-fought semifinal to former world champion Ratchanok Intanon in Bali on Saturday. Third seed Sindhu lost 21-15 9-21 14-21 to world number eight and second seeded Ratchanok in 54 minutes for her third semifinal finish on the trot. World number 11 men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded sixth, exited the Super 1000 tournament after a heart-breaking 16-21 18-21 defeat to top-seeded Indonesian combination of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.

2023

A

June 17, 2023: The Times of India

Jakarta : India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty shocked top seed Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto to sail into the men’s doubles semifinals before HS Prannoy entered the last-four stag e of men’s singles competition at the Indonesia Open here on Friday. Prannoy registered a win over Kodai Naraoka of Japan.

However, world championship silver medallist Kidam bi Srikanth bowed out of the men’s singles competition after going down fighting to China's Li Shi Feng in the quarterfinals. The first Indian to take the court, Srikanth lost 14-21 21-14 12-21 in one hour an d nine minutes against world No. 10 Feng.

The win enabled Feng to restore parity as far as his head-to-head record against Srikanth is concerned, which stands at 1-1 now. The seventhseeded duo of Satwik an d Chirag then displayed a flawless game to outwit Indonesia’s Alfian and Adrianto 21-13 21-13 in 41 minutes.

Satwik and Chirag will play the winner of the quarterfinal between Koreans Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Ja e Seo and Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin. In the final Indian match of the day, seventh seed Prannoy prevailed over Naraoka, seeded third, 21-18 21-6 to book his place i n the semifinal. PTI

B

June 18, 2023: The Times of India

Jakarta : Doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought hard to advance to the final, but it was curtains for HS Prannoy in the men’s singles semifinals of the Indonesia Open World Tour Super 1000 badminton event.


The Commonwealth Games gold medallist duo of Satwik and Chirag, seeded seventh, overcame one-game deficit to beat unseeded Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Jae Seo of Korea 17-21, 21-19, 21-18 to seal their maiden Super-1000 final berth. However, Prannoy failed to rise tothe occasion against top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, going down 15-21, 15-21 in straight games.


“We feel really good the way we played today. They made a comeback in the third game but we stuck till the end and I am happy that we didn’t run away fro m our tactics. We stuck to i t till the very end. First time we are in a Super 1000 final and so i t feels g ood,” Chirag said a fter the win. “They (Koreans) too have a really strong defence, so it was sort of a attack vs defence game. You just can’t blindly attack them. We were mixing it up. ” 
PTI

C

June 19, 2023: The Times of India

Jakarta : India’s dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted history by winning the men’s doubles title at the Indonesia Open, becoming the first pair from the country to claim a Super 1000 event.


The Indians outwitted the Malaysian world champion duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-17, 21-18 in an intense contest that lasted 43 minutes.


“We had prepared very well for this event. We knew the crowd will be supporting us. They have supported us all week. This has been amazing week for us. We played amazing badminton today. We didn’t have good head-to-head recordagainst them, so wanted to play one point at a time and it fetched the result for us,” said Satwiksairaj after the match. 
Satwiksairaj and Chirag gained initiative midway through the first game and they never really gave a sniff to their fancied opponents since then.


In the second game as well, the Indian pair did not allow their opponents to break free and a four-point streak kept them ahead of the curve.


The Indians seemed to be in for a facile victory when the Malaysians nullified four match points to come within sniffing distance of their opponents. 


However, Satwiksairaj and Chirag, theworld No. 6 pair, who won a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and bronze at the world championships last year, could not be denied when the score read 20-18 in their favour, and this time they converted the match point to script a magnificent win. The magnitude of the result can be gauged from the fact that this was the first time Satwiksairaj and Chirag are beating Aaron and Soh in 11 attempts.


In fact, the triumph of Satwiksairaj and Chirag in the Indonesia Open is quite unparalleled as they are the first doublesIndian doubles pair to land the title while Saina Nehwal (2010, 2012) and Kidambi Srikanth (2017) had earlier bagged the singles crown in Jakarta. 


The Indian pair is the first doubles team from the country to clinch a Super 1000 title while they also stand as the first ones to win the set of S100, S300, S500, S750 and S1000 events from the country.


Earlier, the 2022 world championships bronze medallists had become the first ever Indian pair to reach the final of any Super 1000 tournament after a sensational comeback to get the better of the Korean combination of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae 17-21, 21-19 21-18 in a thrilling semi-final. 
The Indians, who were also Asian champions, defeated the current world champions in less than an hour. Chirag was outstanding at the net with his speedy interceptions and defence, and was one of the main reasons behind the Indian pair pulling off the match. The BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Tour is divided into six levels, namely World Tour Finals, four Super 1000, six Super 750, seven Super 500, and 11 Super 300. One more category of tournament, the BWF Tour Super 100 level, also offers ranking points.


Each of these tournaments offers different ranking points and prize money. The Super 1000 level provides the highest number of ranking points and offers the most significant prize pool among all the tiers.

2024

A

Manne Ratnakar, June 7, 2024: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen eased into the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open BWF Super-1000 tournament with a 21-9, 21-15 victory against Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in Jakarta. Lakshya is the lone Indian left in the fray. Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 10-21, 17-21.


The mixed duo of Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy faltered against top seeds Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong of China 9-21, 11-21. The women’s doubles pairs of Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto, Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand also lost.


Ashwini-Tanisha gave a good account of themselves in the 13-21, 21-19, 13-21 loss against second seeds Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee of South Korea. Treesa-Gayatri wasted a two-point lead in the second game before losing to Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan 21-19, 19-21, 19-21. The Indian girls led 19-17 in the second. But Matsumoto pushed the shuttle into the gap on the forehand side of the Indians. At 19-18, Gayatri and Treesa fumbled and lost one more point.


At 19-19, Treesa’s smashed into the net. Once again Matsumoto exploited the vacant space on the forehand side to secure the winner point and take the match into the third game. Though the Japanese had an upper hand in the decider, Treesa-Gayatri reduced the gap to 19-20 before Nagahara secured the winner.


Lakshya will face fourth seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark on Friday. Anderson downed Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand 21-17, 21-11. The Dane enjoys a 3-2 win-loss record against Lakshya.

B

Lakshya Sen bows out of Indonesia Open


Jakarta: India’s challenge ended at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament with Lakshya Sen bowing out in the quarterfinals of the men’s singles event here on Friday. Sen, ranked 14th in the world, fought hard before going down 22-24, 18-21 against world no.5 Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a match that lasted one hour and one minute. Antonsen now enjoys a 3-2 head-to-head record against the Indian.

India Open Super 750 tournament

2023

Hindol Basu, January 20, 2023: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: How does it feel when you've given it your all, and fall just short of what you want to achieve?

This feeling could be seen on India's star shuttler Lakshya Sen's face at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. As Lakshya's net tap went long, with the score at 18-20 in the second game, both the Indian and his Danish opponent Rasmus Gemke fell on their backs and stayed in that position for around 30 seconds.

Then Lakshya got up on his haunches, his head bowed down. It seemed from a distance that the 21-year-old was crying. Gemke hadn't gotten up yet, the usual post-match handshake wasn't complete – although the match umpire had announced the result. Gemke had won the men's singles pre-quarterfinal match in the India Open Super 750 tournament.

It was a hard-fought, seesaw encounter that saw Gemke win 16-21, 21-15, 21-18 in an hour and 21 minutes. The intensity of the tie that saw both players engaged in energy-sapping rallies, had a telling effect on Gemke. While soaking in the triumph, he couldn't believe that the result had gone in his favour. "It was an amazing match. Playing Lakshya in front of a crowd that was cheering on every point. It was wonderful," Gemke told TOI later. "The conditions were a bit different today, the shuttle was a bit slow, and I took time to get adjusted. That's why I lost the first game." Waiting for Gemke in the quarterfinals is World and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, who disposed of China's Shi Yu Qi 21-16, 16-21, 21-9.

Unlike the other Indian shuttlers, Lakshya wasn't struggling to find his range and strokes in the tournament. The loss, therefore, was a bitter pillto swallow. "It was a very disappointing start for me in the third game. It's not acceptable. I could've taken a few breaks to disturb his (Gemke) momentum. I could've tried something different. The lead that he took right at the start of the third game was too much," Lakshya told TOI.

India's challenge in the tournament came to an end when Saina Nehwal lost her women's singles pre-quarterfinal match to Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China 9-21, 12-21. "After a long time, I played a top-10 player. It takes some time to understand because I've lost the touch to play against top players. I last played against Chen Yufei in 2019. What I am lacking is rhythm and I think in another one or two tournaments, I will get that," Saina told TOI.

2024

A

Satwik-Chirag lone bright spot as home challenge fizzles out

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com


New Delhi : India’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty was the lone bright spot on an otherwise disappointing day for home shuttlers, as the reigning Asian Games gold medallists advanced to the pre-quarters of the India Open Super 750 series after securing a hard-fought 21-15, 19-21, 21-16 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Fang-Chih Lee and Fang-Jen Lee.


The second seeds, who finished runners-up at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 last week, had lost the plot in the second game despite reducing the deficit to 18-19 after trailing their opponents 5-11 but managed to keep their calm to eke out a nervy win. In the third and final set, the Indians took control of the proceedings with attacking rallies, cross-court smashes and fine net play.


“We are happy with the way we are playing and the way we have started. We have worked a lot on our defence over the past two years and it has brought a new facet in our armour because you can’t always rely on your attack in these slow conditions,” Satwik said.


However, it was curtains for former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth in the men’s singles after enduring a 22-24, 13-21 defeat against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the opening round. The 2021 World Championships silver medallist began the first game on a strong note and looked in complete control till the halfway mark before Lee made a spirited comeback to take a 20-17 lead. Srikanth saved four game points and earned a game point of his own before his opponent pocketed the opener.


In the second game, Srikanth made several unforced errors. Lee consolidated on his opponent’s wayward play and wrapped up the match in 47 minutes.


“I know I have been making unfor ced errors for some time and I am working on it. I don’t play safe, that’s my game. I try to earn points. Hopefully, things will be better in the next few tournaments. Parupalli Kashyap (his coach) ha s a few things on his mind, so let’s see. If I win a few tournaments, I will qualify for the Olympics. I am not thinking about it at the moment as I just don’t want to qualify only, I want to be a medal contender too,” Srikanth said after his loss.


The home challenge ended in women’s doubles after the pairs of Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Bhat/Shikha Gautam suffered contrasting defeats. Ashwini-Tanisha went down 5-21, 21-18, 11-21 against Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand while Ashwini-Shikha lost 13-21, 3-21 against three-time World Championships medallists Kim So-Yeong and Kong Hee-Yong of South Korea.


The men’s doubles combination of Krishna Prasad Garaga and K Sai Pratheek, too, lost 14-21, 11-21 against Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi and Hiroki Okamura.In women’s singles, defending champion An Se-Young of South Korea had to work hard for her 14-21, 21-11, 21-11 victory against Ratchanok Intanon.

B

Satwik-Chirag, Prannoy in quarters

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com


New Delhi : Priyanshu Rajawat fought his heart out before an untimely foot injury derailed his charge against compatriot H S Prannoy while men’s doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their rich vein of form to move into the quarterfinals of the India Open Super 750 series.

While former Worlds bronze medallist Prannoy fought back from a game down to defeat a tenacious Rajawat 20-22, 21-14, 21-14, the pair of Satwik-Chirag comfortably saw off Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han of Chinese Taipei for a 21-14, 21-15 victory.


However, it was curtains for some big names in the tournament after they lost their respective pre-quarters to lesser-known opponents. Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu led the march of the underdogs in the second round with an upset win over defending men’s champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. Former world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and All England champion Li Shi Feng of China, too, made early exits among women.


Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan defeated Yamaguchi 21-11, 21-19, while Japan’s Koke Watanabe edged third seed Feng 14-21, 21-13, 21-9. Prannoy and Rajawat matched each other point by point. In the opening game, both went neck-and-neck till 13 before Rajawat overturned at-wo-point deficit by winning four consecutive points towards the end to lead 20-18. Prannoy saved two game points to level the score at 20-20. However, the senior pro could not counter the 21-year-old’s precise consecutive smashes and lost the game. In the second game, the world No.8 orchestrated a formidable comeback and notched seven consecutive points to establish a commanding 7-0 lead. From that point on, he never looked back and comfortably closed out the game to force a decider.


In the third and final game, Prannoy again opened up a 6-1 lead and kept swel ling it to 19-11 before sealing the issue 21-14 in his favour.


“I knew I had to stretch the game long to get this win. He (Priyanshu) has come up really well in the last one or two years and I am really happy to see somebody who is 21 playing at this level,” Prannoy said after his win.
On the adjacent centre court, Hangzhou Asian Games gold medallists Satwik-Chirag made a bright start against their opponents and seized the early initiative. Having previously defeated their opponents in straight games in the French Open 2022 final, the Indians replicated that result by continuing their domination over them and securing a 46-minute victory.

C: Prannoy seals maiden semifinal appearance

INDIA OPEN BADMINTON

Satwik-Chirag Pair Also Enters Last-Four With Easy Win Over Danes

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com


New Delhi : A relentless HS Prannoy, riding on deft net play and attacking smashes, booked his first singles semifinal appearance at the India Open Super 750 series, fighting back from a game down to beat Chinese Taipei’s Tzu Wei Wang in an edge-of-the-seat three-game thriller.

Prannoy, a World Championships bronze medallist, fought valiantly after being left to play catch-up for most part of the second and third games to secure a 21-11, 17-21, 21-18 victory over Wang in the men’s singles quarterfinals in 77 minutes. He will next meet current World No. 2 and sixth seed, China’s Yu Qi Shi, in the semifinals.


Later in the evening, reigning Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty blew away the challenge of their old nemesis, Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.


The Indians won their one-sided men’s doubles quarterfinal clash 21-7, 21-10 in a dominating fashion. The Danes, who held a 6-2 head-to-head record against the Indians prior to this meeting, simply had no answers to Satwik-Chirag’s powerful smashes and attacking cross-court winners. The Indians will meet Malaysia’s fourthseeded pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semis.


“It was a revenge match for us. The Danes had beaten us previously on several occasions, including the BWF World Championships and All England tournament. Today, we were prepared against them and didn’t allow them to play their natural defensive game. We were attacking from the start of the match. Overall, we are happy with our performance,” Chirag said after the match.


Earlier, after his win over Wang, Prannoy said, “It is always tough to play against somebody like Wang, who is exceptionally good along the net and in attacks. But I think it was important for me to get that first game because he’s somebody who gets going right from the start. So, it was a little bit more of a different start today and it helped. The second game didn’t go really well, but I would say I was really proud of what I could do in the third game, in which things weren’t looking good at one stage. To fight back from that point was very satisfying.”

Japan Open Super 750

2023

Manne Ratnakar, July 30, 2023: The Times of India

The lone Indian left in the fray, Lakshya Sen went down fighting against Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-15, 13-21, 21-16 in the semifinals of the Japan Open Super 750 tournament in Tokyo. Though Lakshya came back strong after losing the first game to win the second, Christie got the better of the Indian in the third game. Lakshya played some good rallies injecting a lot of pace but the Indonesi an managed to find winners by mixing his strokes.

The Asian Games gold medallist secured a fourpoint lead at the mandatory change of courts in the third game. He widened that to 12-7 immediately a fter the break. While Lakshya tried to change the pace of the rallies and hit some powerful smashes he was not able to break Christie's defence. The Indonesian managed to maintain at least a three-point margin before going for the kill at 18-15. Despite the loss Lakshya would be happy with his progress over the last four weeks.

Junior World Championships BWF

2014-22

Manne Ratnakar, Sep 8, 2022: The Times of India

Seventeen-year-old badminton star Anupama Upadhyaya became the new world No. 1, replacing India’s Tasnim Mir in the junior women’s category at the top. Anupama is the sixth I ndian teen to achieve this feat after Aditya Sharma in 2014, Siril Verma (2016), Lakshya Sen (2017), Tasnim Mir (2022) and Sankar Muthusamy Subramaniam last month.

Anupama is only the second Indian girl afte r Tasnim to top the rankings. The Panchkula girl, a product of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, has now set her sights on the senior category. There are four Indians i n the top 10 with Tasnim at No. 2, Anwesha Gowda (No. 6) and exciting prospect Unnati Hooda at No. 9. Thrilled with the feat, Anupama said that her next target is to break into top 40 of senior rankings. She is now No. 63.

Junior Worlds

2023

A

Oct 4, 2023: The Hindu

Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty put up impressive performances as Indian shuttlers made a dominating start to the individual events at the Badminton World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA.

Unnati, the 2022 Odisha Open champion, displayed her prowess to register a resounding 21-7, 21-11 victory over Tahiti’s Heirautea Curet in the opening round of the girls’ singles match.

Ayush, on the other hand, also secured a convincing 21-6, 21-13 win against Italy’s Simone Piccinin in the boys singles first round.

Tushar Suveer, Devika Sihag and Lokesh Shetty Kalagotla were the other three Indians who also entered the singles round of 64.

Tushar defeated Andrei Schmidt of Estonia 21-12, 21-15, while Lokesh received a walkover in the boys section.

Devika defeated Elisaveta Berik of Estonia 21-13, 21-9 in the girls’ singles match.

This came after the pairs of Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram-Vaishnavi Khadkekar and Samarveer-Radhika Sharma provided India with a winning start with contrasting victories in the opening round of the mixed doubles category.

While the duo of Sathwik and Vaishnavi notched up a commanding 21-4, 21-7 win over Artyom Hakobyan and Ani Sahakyan of Armenia, Samarveer and Radhika had to work hard during their 21-16, 17-21, 21-14 win over Chen Yong Rui and Jiang Pei Xi of China in a closely contested match.

Meanwhile, in the boys’ doubles event, Divyam Arora and Mayank Rana defeated the Norwegian pair of Filip Boehn and Sander Oesthassel by 21-13, 21-14.

Earlier, India finished seventh in the mixed-team event.

Korea Open

2022

A

Sindhu, Srikanth lose in semifinals of Korea Open:

P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth’s impressive run ended in the semifinals after they went down in straight games at the Korea Open Super 500 in Suncheon on Saturday. Sindhu suffered her fourth successive defeat to 20-year-old An Seyoung, losing 14-21 17-21 in 48 minutes. For Srikanth, it ended in yet another semifinal finish as he came up short against Jonatan Christie, going down 19-21 16-21 in 50 minutes.

2023

A

July 22, 2023: The Times of India

Yeosu (Korea) : Men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the semifinals of the Korea Open Super 500 tournament with a straight game win over Japan’s Takuro Hoki an d Yugo Kobayashi here on Friday. The world No.3 Indian combination, seeded third here, took just 40 minutes to get the better of the fifth seeded Japanese pair 21-14, 21-17.

Satwik and Chirag will take on second seeds Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang of China, who are the 2021 world champions in men’s doubles.

Satwik and Chirag are now India’s flag bearers in the tournament after the premature exits of PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth among others.

Playing their first tournament since winning the Indonesia Open Super 1000 last month, it was a neck and neck affair till the first s ix points before the Indians surged ahead pocketing four straight points. Once ahead, Satwik and Chirag managed to keep their nose in front to bag the first game easily. The Indians made a slow start in the second game as they trailed 3-6, but lifted their game just in time to claw back to grab six consecutive points to lead 14-9.

PTI

B

July 23, 2023: The Times of India

Yeosu : Star Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the final of Korea Open super 500 badminton tournament with a thrilling straight-game win over world number two Chinese pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.


The world No. 3 pair notched up a 21-15, 24-22 win over the second seeded Chinese in a 40-minute duel at the Jinnam stadium. It was Satwik and Chirag’s first win over the Chinese pair following two earlier defeats.


Satwik and Chirag, who has won the Indonesia Super 1000 and Swiss Open Super 500 titles this year, will be up against either top seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia or Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae in the summit clash.
The Chinese, who have won the Thailand and India Open this year, came into the match with a 2-0 head-to-head record but it was a different day as the Indians produced a fine show to reach their second successive final, having won the Indon esia Open in their last tournament in June.


Both pairs engaged in short rallies and pounced on anything weak. The result was the pairs moved neck-and-neck from 3-3 to 5-5.


India had a slender 7-5 lea d but Liang unleashed a precise smash between the two. The Indians, however, managed to hold on to a three-point cushion at the inter val once Liang found the net.
 The lead swelled to 14-8 with the Chinese finding the net and going long.


Satwik then dished out his trademark smash but the Chinese duo got a couple of points, mainly due to Chirag’s judgement error on the backline.Another smash going to net from Liang and it was 17-11 up for Indians, who soon made it 19-12 with Satwik producing an accurate cross court return.


PTI

C

Manne Ratnakar, July 24, 2023: The Times of India

Doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty extended their splendid run by clinching the Korea Open badminton title.

The third seeds annexed their fourth title of the year and their first in Korea as they rallied to beat world No.1 Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia 17-21, 21-13, 21-14.
 This was the Indian duo’s third straight victory against the Indonesians, who won silver at the Asian Games and are two-time bronze medallists at the World championships.


The Indians have won all the four finals they played. They won the Swiss Open Super-300 tournament on March 26, became Asian champions on April 30, claimed their first Super-1000 title at the Indonesia Open on June 18 and on Sunday won in Yeosu, South Korea. 
Shetty said that they were happy to win. “We didn’t start well but are happy we could win that second game and keep the momentum until the end. Extremely happy we could win consecutive titles.”


The duo did not play the last two tournaments — Canada and US Opens — after winning in Indonesia.


Satwik said that they played some amazing badminton this week. “It’s been a pretty good week for us. I am happy with the performance today. We want to maintain the momentum next week in Japan. So, we’ll rest and focus again,” added Satwik and thanked their supporters.


The final was a see-saw battle with the world No. 1 Indonesian duo keeping the shuttle flat. They seized control at the net and dominated the first game. They led 18-10 before the Indians won six straight points. But the gap was too big.
The second game saw Satwik-Chirag pushing the shuttle back. Once they got the height, Satwik-Chirag smashed hard. Their rivals found it hard to return the smashes and the Indians started controlling the pace.


With their coach Mathias Boe taking a break, chief coach Pullela Gopichand filled in for him. Gopi said consistency and power are the key to the Indian duo’s dominance. “They were consistent throughout the week. While their opponents found it difficult to return their smashes, Satwik-Chirag’s retrieving was good. That is why they were able to claim more points,” said Gopichand.


South Korean youngster An Se Young downed former world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying 21-9, 21-15 to win the women’s singles title while Denmark’s Anders Antonsen defeated Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 11-21, 21-11, 21-19 in the men’s final.


Other results (finals): Women’s doubles: 1-Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (Chn) bt 4-Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong (Kor) 21-10, 17-21, 21-7. Mixed: 4-Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (Chn) bt 8-Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (Chn) 21-16, 21-13.

Malaysia Masters

2022

Star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy’s rampaging run at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament hit a roadblock as he slipped to a narrow threegame loss against Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in a mistake-filled men’s singles semifinal here on Saturday. It was heartbreak once again in the semifinals for the Indian as he squandered a onegame advantage to go down 21-17 9-21 17-21 against NG Ka Long after battling for an hour and four minutes at the Axiata Arena here. Heading into the match with a 4-4 career record, Prannoy, who had defeated Ng Ka Long in the last three meetings, picked the good side after winning the toss.

2023

A

Manne Ratnakar, May 26, 2023: The Times of India

Indian senior shuttlers bounced back from the Sudirman Cup debacle at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur. While HS Prannoy knocked out All England champion Li Shi Feng of China 13-21, 21-16, 21-11, Kidambi Srikanth ousted world championships silver medallist and India Open champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-19, 21-19. PV Sindhu drubbed Aya Ohori of Japan 21-16, 21-11 to record her seventh straight victory against the Japanese opponent.


However, Lakshya Sen lost 14-21, 19-21 to Ng Ka Long Angus ofHong Kong. Prannoy was impressive against the rising Chinese star. After committing a few unforced errors in the first game, Prannoy hit the lines consistently and was aggressive in the next two. From 13-13 he made it 16-13 and then from 18-16 he scored three points on the trot to take the second game. Prannoy won nine straight points from 7-5 to take a take a 16-5 lea d in the third and soon wrapped up the match. Prannoy said that he had to push his rival to the limit. “Feels good to win back-to back matches. The Chinese guy was in good form. It was tough 
to push him to the limit and win today,” Prannoy told TOI from Kuala Lumpur. The world No. 9 Indian faces world No. 13 Kenta Nishimoto in the quarterfinals, the Japanese shuttler enjoys a 2-0 win-loss record against the Indian.


Srikanth is expected to have an easy outing against qualifier Christian Adinata of Indonesia. Srikanth rallied from big deficits in both games against Vitidsarn. The Thai led 6-0, 10-4 and 14-10 in the first. From 17-19, Srikanth scored four big points to win it. In the second he fought back from a 13-18 deficit. Sindhu will have to work hard against Zhang Yi Man of China. Zhang has a 2-1 record against Sindhu and had even won at the All England in March.

B

Manne Ratnakar, May 27, 2023: The Times of India

PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy sailed into the semifinals of the Malaysia Masters BWF Super-500 tournament in Kuala Lumpur. While Sindhu registered a hard-fought 21-16, 13-21, 22-20 victory against Zhang Yi Man of China, Prannoy defeated Kenta Nishimoto of Japan 25-23, 18-21, 21-13.


Kidambi Srikanth crashed out, losing to Indonesian youngster Christian Adinata 21-16, 16-21, 11-21. This is only the second Super-500 semifinal for the 21-year-old Adinata, who will face Prannoy.

Nishimoto was on a high after ousting third seed Jonathan Christie in the second round and gave Prannoy a tough time in the first two games. Prannoy saved three game points from 17-20 to sneak past Nishimoto in the first. 
But the Japanese shuttler came back strongly in the second. Fr om 12-11, he won five points to make it 17-11. Prannoy used some precise cross-court drives and good defence to reduce the margin to 17-18. Nishimoto involved the Indian in long rallies and collected the important points to push the match into the decider.


Despite playing with a heavily taped left knee, Prannoy was impressive in the third game. Prannoy needed some medical attention but secured a 11-5 lead a t the mandatory change of courts. Nishimoto scored three quick points after the break and looked good. At 11-8, Prannoy won two crucial points and four more at 13-10 to seal the issue. Weng Hong Yang of China also reached the semifinalsfrom the other half of the draw.


Sindhu, who has been struggling to get it right for the last few months, survived tense moments to pr evail over Zhang. After losing the second game, Sindhu led her rival for most part of the third and was just one point away from victory at 20-17. But Zhang saved three match points and pushed the Indian into a tight spot. At 20-20, Zhang made a service error and hit the next shuttle wide off the court to hand over the much needed victory to Sindhu. The world No. 13 Indian will face world No. 9 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung. Though Sindhu enjoys a 7-1 win-loss record, Tunjung beat the Indian at the Madrid Masters in April. 


Record rally in women's doubles


The Malaysian pair of Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan and the Japanese duo of Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto were involved in a record 211-shot rally in the quarterfinals. The Malaysian duo won the match 21-17, 18-21, 21-19.

C

Manne Ratnakar, May 28, 2023: The Times of India

HS Prannoy ensured Indian presence in the final of the Malaysia Masters as his semifinal opponent, Christian Adinata of Indonesia, retired while trailing 19-17 in the first game. But PV Sindhu crashed out after her 14-21, 17-21 defeat to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.

This is Prannoy's first final of the year — his last being at the Sw iss Open in March 2022. Prannoy was off in a flash and led 11-1. After the break, Adinata rallied to win 14 of the 17 points. From 1-12, Adinata caught up with the Indian at 15-15. Pranno y then earned a point with a drop and slowly regained control. At 18-17, Adinata jumped on the backline to execute a smash and injured his left knee.


Prannoy was the first tor ush to his opponent’s aid. Soon, the Indonesian coach and officials came to Adinata’s side but the former world junior champion had to be wheeled out as he was in severe pain. In the final, Prannoy will face Weng Hong Yang of China who beat Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in straight games 21-13, 21-19.


Sindhu committed a lot of errors in the women’s semifinal . She was unable to control the pace of the game as Tunjung came up with some brilliant crosscourt net shots and straight smashes. 


Surprisingly, Sindhu failed to execute her s mashes. Her first smash came at 14-18 in the second game by which time the contest had tilted in favour of Tunjung.


The Indonesian has improved a lot and kept the Indian guessing thr oughout the 44-minute contest. She defended well and managed to push the Indian to one side of the court before firing a straight smash. She a lso won many points at the net.

D

Manne Ratnakar, May 29, 2023: The Times of India

Three smash winners, two of them unreturnable, ended the long wait and ensured the first BWF World Tour title for HS Prannoy. The Kerala shuttler prevailed over Weng Hong Yang of Ch ina in an energy-sapping one hour 34 minute final 21-19, 13-21, 21-18 to clinch the Malaysia Masters BWF Super-500 title in Kuala Lumpur. Prannoy is the first Indian man to win the Malaysia Masters after its inception in 2009.


This is a lso the first singles title of the season for India. As the Indian fans waited with bated breath after both player s were locked at 18-18, Prannoy fired three smashes, two to the right and one to the left of his opponent to seize the crown. “I think there are just too many emotions as such because the last six years were too much of a rollercoaster ride for me and I really didn’t expect this to happen after six years. To be honest, if you had asked me in 2017, I don’t think I would have told you that in 2023 I would be winning a Super 500. I want to thank all the coaches and the support staff. I think we have worked really, really har d and the result is showing,” Prannoy said after the victory. 
“It’s too many emotions as such and then you are excited to come out there and play in front of such a big crowd. The draw wa s r eallytough for me and had really tough matches as I had to dig really deep,” he added. 


The hard-hitting 30-yearold battled several peculiar health issues all through his career and despite possessing loads of talent was undone by untimely injuries, which at times looked threatened to finish off his career.


While his friends Kidambi Srikanth, Sai Praneeth and Parupalli Kashyap won titles, Prannoy was slowed down by injuries. For a long time he struggled with problem of sweat foot that affected his movement on the court. During the Wor ld Championships in 2018 he suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease. He took a long time to recover and when it looked like things were m oving well he contracted Covid-19 in November 2020. Thoug h many of his fellow shuttlers recovered well, Prannoy suffered from the after-affects of the infection as the lining of his lungs got inflamed. 
Even though age was not on his side he never lost hope and played a few fabulous matches to power India to the top of the Thomas Cup podium last year. 


The victory at Kuala Lumpur on Sunday will help Prannoy realise his dream of competing in the Olympics.

2024

A

May 25, 2024: The Times of India

Kuala Lumpur : Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu took a giant stride towards securing a title at the Malaysia Masters after progressing to the semifinals with a hard-fought win over top seed Han Yue of China. World No. 15 Sindhu recovered from a mid-game slump to outwit Han, ranked sixth, 21-13, 14-21, 21-12 in a 55-minute quarterfinal battle to avenge her loss to the Chinese in their last meeting at the Asia badminton Championships in Ningbo last month.


Sindhu, a former world champion, will now square off against either Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani or Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the last four stage. In other results, Ashmita Chaliha’s fine run ended in the quarterfinals with a 10-21 15-21 loss to sixth seed Zhang Yi Man of China.Sindhu gave a good account of herself during the 55-minute match as she broke off from 3-3 in the opening game to take a 11-5 cushion at the break.


The Chinese slowly made her way to 13-16 but Sindhu reeled off the remaining five straight points to take the opening game.


Stung by the reversal, Han zoomed to a 5-0 lead after the change of sides. She later comfortably took the match to the decider. In the third game, Sindhu opened up a 11-3 lead, which proved decisive. PTI

Malaysian Open BWF Super-500

2024

A

Sindhu in final with hard-fought win

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

PV Sindhu is peaking at the right time. The two-time Olympic medallist reached her first final of the year with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-16, 21-12 victory against Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in the Malaysia Open BWF Super-500 tournament in Kuala Lumpur.


Sindhu achieved another feat on way to the final as she now has the most wins by an Indian shuttler. With 453 victories Sindhu, surpassed Saina Nehwal record of 451 wins. Among active shuttlers, Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei has the most wins (525) followed by Carolina Marin at 506. Men’s world No.1 Viktor Axelsen has 536 victories. On the summit is Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia with 711 wins, while his longtime rival Lin Dan has 662 to his name.


With Olympic Games two months away, top shuttlers have skipped the Malaysia Open and Sindhu seized the moment. None of the top-8 Olympic qualifiers are in action at the Malaysia Open.


Sindhu’s last appearance in a final was on April 2, 2023 at the Madrid Masters. The last title she won was the Singapore Open on July 17, 2022. She had defeated Wang Zhi Yi of China then and she will face her in the final again on Sunday. Wang downed compatriot Zhang Yi Man 21-9, 21-11 in the other semifinal.


Sindhu enjoys a 2-1 winloss record against Wang . However, the Chinese girl defeated Sindhu at the Arctic Open on October 14, 2023. Despite struggling against the feisty Busanan in the first set, Sindhu, who recorded her 18th victory against the Thai in 19 matches, raised her game a few notches in the next two although she faced stiff resistance in the second.

B

Sindhu ends runner-up in Malaysia


Kuala Lumpur: PV Sindhu’s wait for a muchneeded title extended further as she faltered at the finish line, going down in three games to world No. 7 Wang Zhi Yi of China in the summit clash here on Sunday. Fifth seed Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, last won the Singapore Open and Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 and finished runner-up at the Madrid Spain Masters in 2023. The title here looked within her reach when world No. 15 Sindhu held a massive 11-3 lead in the decider but the former world champion suffered a shocking meltdown after the final change of ends to go down 21-16 5-21 16-21 in a 79-minute women’s singles final.

Malaysian Open BWF Super-1000

2023

January 15, 2023: The Times of India

Satwik & Chirag succumb in semis


Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out of the $125,000 Malaysia Open BWF Super-1000 tournament with a 16-21, 21-11, 15-21 defeat to Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China in the semifinals on Saturday. Not giving any room to smash, Liang and Wang played flat throughout the first game. Sticking to the same strategy, the Chinese secured three points from 14-14. Unable to alter the course of the game, the Indians made several mistakes and lost the first. In fact, Wang won the small battles against Chirag at the front the court.

2024

A

Manne.Ratnakar, January 10, 2024: The Times of India

Srikanth stuns Christie in Malaysia Open

Kidambi Srikanth upset sixth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 12-21, 21-18, 21-16 while Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto trounced the American pair of Francesca Corbett and Allison Lee 21-13, 21-16 in the first round of the Malaysian Open BWF Super-1000 tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

However, the men’s pair of MR Arjun-Dhruv Kapila and Aakarshi Kashyap crashed out of the event. Arjun-Dhruv lost to Fang-Chih Lee and Fang-Jen Lee of Chinese Taipei 16-21, 19-21 in a hard-fought contest. Zhang Yi Man of China defeated Aakarshi 15-21, 15-21.


World No. 24 Srikanth bounced back from 14-17 in the second game after losing the first. In the decider too, Christie opened a 5-0 lead and led 14-9 at one stage. However, Srikanth came up with a seven-point burst and from 16-15, scored four straight points to seize control.


In the second round, Srikanth will face world No. 20 Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong.


Ashwini and Tanisha, who are No.14 in the Olympic qualifying race and much ahead of Treesa Jollya and Gayatri Gopichand, registered an important victory. The duo next face seventh seeds Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara. The Japanese pair defeated India's Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda 21-12, 21-11 in the first round.


Results (Rd I) Men’s singles: Kidambi Srikanth bt Jonatan Christie (Ina) 12-21, 21-18, 21-16. Doubles: Fang-Chih Lee/FangJen Lee (Tpe) bt MR Arjun/ Dhruv Kapila 21-16, 21-19.


Women's singles: Zhang YiMan (Chn) bt Aakarshi Kashyap 21-15, 21-15. Doubles: Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto bt Francesca Corbett/Allison Lee (USA) 21-13, 21-16; Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) bt Rutuparna Panda/Swetaparna Panda 21-12, 21-11.

B

Off-colour Prannoy, Lakshya sent packing

Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com


It was a mixed day for India at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur. While second-seeded Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced, top ranked HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen crashed out. Prannoy lost 14-21, 11-21 to Anders Antonsen of Denmark and Sen was sent packing by Weng Hong Yang of China 21-15, 21-16. Kidambi Srikanth is the only Indian left in the singles draw and he will take on Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.
Prannoy was off-colour as Antonsen opened a 9-1 lead in the first game and made it 13-5, leaving little chance for Prannoy to make a comeback. In the second game, Antonsen won five straight points from 7-7 to widen the gap and seven more straight points from 13-10 to shut out Prannoy. The eighth-seeded Indian was disappointed with his performance.
Satwik-Chirag defeated Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana of Indonesia 21-18, 21-19. The Indians fought back from a 9-15 deficit in the second game. They worked hard to keep the shuttle and came up with some steep smash winners to get past the Indonesians.

C

Doubles pairs advance; Srikanth exits

Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto shocked two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara 21-19, 13-21, 21-15 in the second round of the Malaysia Open BWF World Super-1000 tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty joined them in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Indians made short work of unseeded Lucas Corve and Ronan Labar of France 21-11, 21-18.


Satwik-Chirag play Chinese pair of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in the quarterfinals.


However, the Indian challenge in men's singles ended with the second round exit of Kidambi Srikanth, who lost 12-21, 17-21 to Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong. Ashwini-Tanisha recovered from a mid-match slump to earn crucial ranking points with this victory in the second r ound of a Super-1000 tournament.

Ever since 20-year-old Tanisha paired up with seasoned Ashwini last year, the team has done well and is giving a stiff competition to the established pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. Only one of these pairs will likely qualify for Olympics.

D

Satwik-Chirag pair reaches Malaysian Open semis

Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com


Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the semifinals of the Malaysia Open BWF Super-1000 tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. But it was curtains for Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto as the world No. 24 Indian duo lost 15-21, 13-21 to the No. 15 Japanese pair of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in the quarterfinals. The Indians were in the match till 13-14 in the first game before the Japanese raced to victory by winning the next seven points.


The Indians led 7-1 at one stage before the Japanese made a splendid comeback, hitting hard and retrieving well. From 13-14, they moved to 18-14 and easily won the match.


Satwik-Chirag were at their dominant best against He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu. The world No. 2 pair took just 35 minutes to outclass the world No. 32 Chinese 21-11, 21-8.


This will be the second consecutive semifinal appearance for the Indians, who won the Asian Games gold and claimed the Asian continental crown last year.
Involving their rivals in sharp exchanges and hitting smashes with ease, the Indian duo began aggressively with a 7-0 lead and widened it to 14-6 before closing the first game.


In the second game, the Indians zoomed ahead from 7-4 to 14-4. They hardly gave time for their rivals to settle and finished the match in style.


They will face the winners of the other quarterfinal between third seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia and sixth seeds Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea, in the semis.


From the other half, top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China play seventh seeds Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan. The Chinese ousted Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia 16-21, 21-17, 21-18. The Japanese defeated Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee yi of Malaysia 21-15, 21-19.

E: Satwik-Chirag in final

Manne Ratnakar, January 14, 2024: The Times of India

Satwik-Chirag in Malaysia final

Asian champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty downed world champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae 21-18, 22-20 at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.


The Indian duo treated the fans to a high-quality badminton match that witnessed a dramatic fightback in the second game.


Displaying their skills in full measure, Satwik and Chirag saved six game points in the second game to stun a wellplaced Koreans. After winning the first game, the Indians we re made to work hard by the Koreans, who led 11-8 at the break. They made it 20-14 and were on the verge of winning it. Satwik and Chirag got the first two points when their opponents hit the shuttle long.

Chirag’s straight smash made it 17-20 and the next two points were won by Satwik.

F: India loses

Satwik-Chirag falter in Malaysia Open final

Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com


Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faltered in the final of Malaysia Open BWF Super-1000 Tournament. The Indians lost to top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China 21-9, 18-21, 17-21 in Kuala Lumpur.


Trailing 3-10 in the decider, the Chinese made a splendid comeback to surprise the Indians. After securing a 10-3 lead in the decider it looked like the Indians were cruising ahead without breaking any sweat. But the Chinese pushed hard, tried different angles and found vacant spots on the Indian side to close the gap to 7-11 by the change of courts. After the break, the Chinese won five of the next six points with quick exchanges and steep smashes. They controlled the shuttle so well and broke the Indian defence quite easily.
With Satwik hitting the shuttle out twice at this moment they went into lead (14-13) for the first time in this ga me and surged ahead from here. They attacked the left and the right corners repeatedly. From 17-16, Liang-Wang won three crucial points to move to 20-16. The first was Wang's cross-court jump smash to the left-hand corner of the Indian court. Chirag watched it helplessly as it landed well within the lines.


Liang then attacked Satwik, who was unable to get into aproper position to defend. After a few exchanges Wang then came up with a brilliant half smash to the right corner of the court to move to match point. The Indians saved one championship point here but were unlucky as a net chord helped the Chinese to gain advantage.This is the fourth victory for the Chinese against the Indians in five matches.

Orleans Masters Super- 100

2022

A

Shuttler Mithun enters final at Orleans Masters Super 100:

India’s Mithun Manjunath made it to his maiden Super 100 final with a straight-game win over Indonesia’s Christian Adinata at the Orleans Masters badminton tournament in Orleans, France. The 23-year-old, a product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, prevailed 21-18 21-14 over Adinata in a 47-minute showdown. The world No. 79, had reached the semifinals of Syed Modi International Super 300 event and quarterfinals of Odisha Super 100 in January.

B

Mithun Manjunath loses in Orleans Masters final

Indian shuttler Mithun Manjunath’s splendid run at the Orleans Masters ended with a straight game loss to local favourite Toma Junior Popov in the summit clash of the Super 100 tournament. The 23-year-old Manjunath went down 21-11 21-19 to world No. 32 and fourth seed Frenchman in 50 minutes late on Sunday night. It was Majunath’s maiden Super 100 final. He is a product of the Prakash Padukone Academy.

Orleans Masters BWF Super- 300

2023

A

April 8, 2023: The Times of India

Priyanshu Rajawat moved into the semifinals of the Orleans Masters BWF Super-300 tournament with a straight game victory against Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-18 in Orle ans, France.


Priyanshu, who stunned top seed Kenta Nishimoto, continued in the same vein as he eased past Yu Jen in 44 minutes to set up a semifinal clash with Nh at Nguyen of Ireland. Nhat got a walkover after his quarterfinal opponent Misha Zilberman of Israel had withdrawn. This would be the first meeting between the world No. 58 Indian and world No. 35 Irish shuttler.


Playing an all-round game, Priyanshu gained the upper hand over his opponent from the eighth point in both the games. The 21-year-old, who trains at the Pullela Gopich and Academy, troubled his opponent with his precision at the net, sharp returns and jump smashes.


Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles second round, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa lost to Li Yi Ping and Luo Xu Min of China 14-23, 21-23.

Premier Badminton League

2018: Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth, Marin get the highest prices

October 9, 2018: The Times of India

PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and world champion Carolina Marin were the expected top buys at the Premier Badminton League season four auction, fetching the maximum price of Rs 80 lakh each here on Monday. India’s top male shuttler Kidambi Srikanth too was picked for Rs 80 lakh at the auction.

The unexpected one was rising doubles star Satwiksairaj Rankireddy who was the highest paid non-Icon Indian player with Rs 52 lakh. With all players returning to the auction pool for the first time since 2015 and no Right to Match (RTM) card at teams’ disposal, the exercise gained more significance with franchisees looking to get the combination right besides their ideal Icon player.

Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto was the highest paid non-Icon Player with Delhi Dashers splurging Rs 70 lakh for his services. The Delhi outfit won a tense battle with two other teams to acquire the World No 11, paying Rs 40 lakh above his base price.

Icon players Marin and Sindhu were the obvious choice for most teams. At least four teams raised the prize purse to Rs 80 lakh, the maximum limit a team can bid for a player, before the players got assigned to the teams by a draw of lots.

Among the non-Icon Indians, Rankireddy was the top draw as Ahmedabad Smash Masters outbid the Hyderabad Hunters to secure the youngster for Rs 52 lakh, a massive jump from his base price of Rs 15 lakh.

The fourth season of the PBL will begin in Mumbai on December 22 while the final will be held in Bengaluru on January 13, 2019. A ninth team, Pune7 Aces, has been added this year and Marin will be playing for them.

Auction 2019 Nov

Nov 27, 2019: The Times of India

World champion P V Sindhu was retained by Hyderabad Hunters for Rs 77 lakh in the auction for the fifth season of the Premier Badminton League here. World number 1 women’s singles player Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei was also bought for joint highest amount of Rs 77 lakh by defending champions Bengaluru Raptors after a bidding war with the Pune 7 Aces.

Another top Indian player B Sai Praneeth was also retained by Benagluru Raptors for Rs 32 lakh. Among other Indians who were retained by their respective franchises are men’s doubles players B Sumeeth Reddy (Rs 11 lakhs by Chennai Superstarz) and Chirag Shetty (Rs 15.50 lakhs by Pune 7 Aces). World number 9 American women’s singles player Beiwan Zhang too has been retained by Awadhe Warriors for Rs 39 lakhs.

National badminton coach Pullela Gopichand’s daughter Gayatri Gopichand was picked up by Chennai Superstarz, while young Assamese shuttler Ashmita Chaliha was bought by her home team North Eastern Warriors for Rs 3 lakhs.

The PBL season 5 lost some sheen after London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth pulled out of the event to focus on their international careers. While Saina pulled out of the 2020 event to prepare herself for the next international season, Srikanth wanted to focus on international events ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

154 players, including Sai Praneeth, Lakshya Sen, and men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, were also part of the auction.

PBL 5 - At a Glance: Teams: 7; Venues: Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Chennai); Total number of players in auction: 154; Total number of Players sold: 71; Most expensive buy- Tai Tzu Ying- Rs 77 lakh (Bengaluru Raptors); Most expensive Indian buy-Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy- Rs 62 lac (Chennai Superstarz); Auction purse for each team: Rs 2 crore; Player cap: Rs 77 lakhs; Total prize money: Rs 6 crores. PTI

Spain Masters BWF Super-300

2023

A

April 1, 2023: The Times of India

PV Sindhu reached her first semifinal of the year when she outclassed Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark 21-14, 21-17 at the Spain Masters BWF Super-300 tournament in Madrid. However, Kidambi Srikanth suffered a 18-21, 15-21 loss to Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in the men’s singles last eight clash.


After the Commonwealth Games women’s singles gold in August last year, Sindhu pulled out of the other tournaments due to injury and returned this January. Though she faltered at the net and failed to hit the lines consistently, Sindhu focused on keeping the shuttle in play. Mia kept the Indian on a tight leash till the 14th point, before Sindhu notched up six straight points win the first game. 
TNN

B

Hard-fought win takes Sindhu to summit clash

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

PV Sindhu(in pic)made an unbelievable comeback in the first game to register a hard-fought 24-22, 22-20 victory against Yeo Jia Min of Singapore in the semifinals of the Spain Masters BWF Super-300 tournament in Madrid.

Trailing 15-20 in the first game, Sindhu saved five game points, thanks to her rival’s casual approach. Yeo made three unforced errors and misjudged one line call. Sindhu drew level at 20-20 and saved two more game points at 20-21 and 21-22 before sealing the game. Yeo made two more errors. First she hit the shuttle wide and then her forehand crashed into the net. It was quite a turnaround for Sindhu. With momentum on her side, the Indian secured a 9-5 lead and went into the break at 11-6.

Singapore Open

2022

A

July 17, 2022: The Times of India

Singapore: Indian shuttler P V Sindhu stormed into the Singapore Open title clash with a commanding win over lower-ranked Japanese Saena Kawakami in the women's singles semifinal, here on Saturday. Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, who had claimed two Super 300 titles at Syed Modi International and Swiss Open this year, prevailed 21-15 21-7 in 32-minute semifinal clash. She is now one win away from her maiden Super 500 title of the 2022 season. Sindhu came into the match with a 2-0 head-to-head record, having played her last at the 2018 China Open. The former world champion looked in complete command against world number 38 Kawakami, who just couldn't control the shuttle and was buried in a heap of errors during the lop-sided match. Si ndhu summoned her whipping smashes early on but the drift in the hall made decision making difficult and also sometimes precision was lacking but the p ower in her strokeplay helped the Indian moved to a healthy three-point lead at the break.

The 24-year-old Japanese, however, started putting the shuttle in from difficult positions to draw parity. The match came alive with both fighting for each p oint. Sindhu also won two video referrals, punished a weak high lift and also made good calls at the baseline to move to 18-14. A powerpacked smash and then two unforced errors by Kawakami helped Sindhu seal the opening game comfortably.

Kawakami's struggles continued in the second game as she failed to control the shuttle and conceded a 0-5 early lead to he r fancied rival. Sindhu just had to keep engaging her rival in the rallies and waited for mistakes from the Japanse. PTI

B

July 18, 2022: The Times of India

Singapore: Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu lifted the Singapore Open Super 500 trophy after outwitting China’s Wang Zhi Yi in an intense women’s singles final here on Sunday. In a mistake-filled title clash, Sindhu managed to stay strong in the key moments to come up trumps against the 22-year-old Wang, the reigning Asian Championships gold medallist. The final scoreline read 21-9, 11-21, 21-15 i n the Indian’s favour. The 27-year-old from Hyderabad came into the match with a 1-0 lead over Wang, having beaten the Chinese player in their only meeting at the All England Ch ampionships this year. Sindhu produced another fine display to grab her third world tour title (Syed Modi International and Swiss Open) of the season. Toss played a major role in the match with drift in the hall making life difficult for the shuttlers. Wang’s decision to choose the side put her in an advantageous position as she played against the drift after the final change of ends. However, Sindhu managed to limit the errors and keep her nerves to emerge victorious in the end.


After losing the first two points, S indhu used her reach to get the shuttle early, played some superb angled returns, and produced one winner after another to stay ahead all the way in the opening game. Playing against the drift allowed the Indian to go for her shots even as Wang hit wide and long. Sindhu gathered 11 strai ght points on the trot to zoom into the midgame interval at 11-2. The Indian maintained her firm grip on the match after resumption to quickly wrap up the opening game. The second game, however, turned into a forgettable affair for Sindhu as Wang, now on the better side of the court, displayed her prowess. The match came alive in the decider as the duo played some long rallies.

Losing in quarters was upsetting, says Sindhu:

A ‘relieved’ P V Sindhu hopes to continue her rich vein of form in the upcoming events, including the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, after winning the Singapore Open title. “In the last couple of tournaments, there were hard-fought matches, and losing in the quarterfinals and semifinals was a bit upsetting but each match mattered and finally I could get this,” Sindhu said after the win. “I am very happy because after a long time coming here to Singapore and winning this, means a lot to me. “I have finally crossed that level, I have got the win now and I hope the same tempo continues for the rest of the tournaments and I do well in the upcoming event. ” Living out of a suitcase is the norm for international athletes and Sindhu admitted there is n o time to celebrate a s she shifts focus on the Commonwealth Games starting July 28. “I just have a week after that again we leave for Commonwealth Games. Maybe I can take a day off, and spend time with my family,” she said. 
PTI

2024

B

Manne.Ratnakar, June 1, 2024: The Times of India

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand rallied well after losing the first game to defeat So Yeong Kim and Hee Yong Kong of South Korea 18-21, 21-19, 24-22 in the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open BWF Super-750 tournament.

In fact, the Indians were three points from defeat as they trailed 12-18 in the second. But they showed great grit to win five straight points to make it 17-18. Gayatri won four of the five points with a couple of smashes, a drop and a flick. From 17-19, Treesa-Gayatri had few problems.


The decider was closely fought. At 22-22, Gayatri's smash from the back court landed in the middle of court to make it 23-22. Gayatri secured the winning point with a smash into Kim’s cheek.


“It was a great win, we’re happy. We were down in the second game but fought back well. There was no strategy. We just wanted to give our 100 percent. They are tough players,” Gayatri said.


The Indian duo will play Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama. The Japanese fourth seeds have 2-1 win-loss record against the Indians.


In an all-Chinese semifinal, top seeds Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan play third seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning.

C

Manne.Ratnakar, June 2, 2024: The Times of India

Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida ended the dream run of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand 23-21, 21-11 in the semifinals of the Singapore Open BWF Super-750 tournament. The Indian duo, who upset the second and sixth seeds earlier in the tournament, fell to the fourth-seeded Japanese pair in 47 minutes.


The Indians were slow off the blocks in the first game. But they made amends to give a tough time to the rivals towards the end. From 2-8, they closed the gap to 9-10 and saved three game points before losing.


At 18-20, Shida hit the shuttle wide. After a few exchanges, Gayatri saved the second game point with a powerful smash. At 20-21, Treesa helped India save the third game point with a brilliant return. The Japanese made it 22-21 after a poor serve from Treesa and exploited the gap at the back of court to secure the winner.


After losing the first game, the Indians made many mistakes at the net. NamiShida opened a 5-1 lead and raced to 13-2 with eight straight points. While the Japanese got better with every point, the Indians looked clueless. Both Nami and Shida were aggressive, hit the lines consistently and hardly gave room for the Indians.


In the final, the Japanese will face top seeds Cheng Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan of China, who defeated compatriots Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning 21-12, 21-17.

Slovenia Open

2023

May 23, 2023: The Times of India

Sameer Verma wins gold; Rohan-Sikki bag silver: Indian shuttler Sameer Verma emerged victorious in men’s singles competition at the 2023 Slovenia Open beating Su Li Yang while the duo of Rohan Kapoor and Sikki Reddy bagged silver in the mixed doubles event in Maribor, Slovenia. Verma won 21-18, 21-14 against his Taiwanese opponent.

Kapoor and Reddy lost to Jesper Toft and Clara Gravesen, from Denmark, 12-21, 13-21 in the summit showdown.

Sudirman Cup

2023

A

Manne Ratnakar, May 15, 2023: The Times of India

Chinese Taipei thumped India 4-1 in the group C opening round of the BWF Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, China, on Sunday. The only saving grace on the forgettable day was the three-game victory of Treesa Joll y and Gayatri Gopichand. The duo fought back after losing the first game to beat Lee Chia Hsin and Teng Chun Hsun 15-21, 21-18, 21-13.


The youngsters displayed a lot of grit but the seniors failed to live up to their billing. Mixed pair of Sai Prateek and Tanisha Crasto started the proceedings for India. Despite being a new team, they almost pulled off a shock victory before g oing down against world No. 30 Yng Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang 21-18, 24-26, 6-21. HS Prannoy was expected to beat Chou Tien Chen. But thetop Indian singles player was off colour and suffered a straight game loss 19-21, 15-21.


Trailing 0-2, the onus was now on PV Sindhu to lift the Indian team. The former world champion, who has been struggling this year, looked in great touch but was not able to get past her bitter nem esis Tai Tzu Ying. After losing the first game, Sindhu upped the ante in the second and was brilliant throughout the game. However, Tai prevailed over the Indian towards the end of the decider. This is Sindhu's18th loss against Tai in 22 matches.


The rubber was already lost even before Asian champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stepped in. Satwik-Chirag lost a close contest against Lee Yang and Ye Hong Wei 13-21, 21-17, 18-21. In the other group C clash, Malaysia blanked Australia 5-0.


In a do-or-die encounter, India will square up against Malaysia. If India beats Malaysia, it will face Australia. Australia is the weakest team in the group and all the other three are expected to easily beat them. 
Malaysia had already beaten Australia and on Monday if they beat India they would qualify. If India manages to get past Malaysia, they are likely to make i t to quarterfinals as a victory against Australia is a foregone conclusion. Same is the case with Taipei, who play Australia.


It all boils down to the key clash between India and Malaysia. Whoever wins this can make it to knockouts along with Taipei.

B

Manne Ratnakar, May 16, 2023: The Times of India

India were knocked out of the Sudirman Cup after a 0-5 pasting by Malaysia in their second group C match in Suzhou, China. PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty came a cropp er, as India failed to enter the knockouts for the third successive edition. India reached the knockouts only in 2011 and 2017.


After the 1-4 defeat to Chinese Taipei on Sunday, India ban ked on their singles players and one of the three doubles teams to pull off a victory against Malaysia. Fielding Srikanth ahead of HS Prannoy also backfired.


The mixed pair of Dhruv Kapil a and Ashwini Ponnappa did well in patches before succumbing to Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie 16-21, 17-21. Srikanth struggled against Lee Zii Jia. Srikanth had defeated Lee at the Japan Op en last August, but the former world No. 1 lost 16-21, 11-21.


Sindhu, who had a 4-0 record against Goh Jin Wei, lost 21-14, 10-21, 20-22. After losing the second game, Sindhu made a valiant attempt in the third. Traili ng 4-14, Sindhu covered the gap but Goh scored two big points at 20-20 to give a 3-0 victory to Malaysia. Later, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand a lso lost. Satwik-Chirag once again faltered against Aaron Chia and Soh-Wooi Yik 18-21, 19-21. The Indians are yet to beat this Malaysian pair after eight encounters. Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan defeated Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand 21-15, 21-13.


Malaysia and Chinese Taipei made the knockouts from this group. Both the teams defeated India and Australia. India will take on Australia in an inconsequential match.

Swiss Open

2022

A

Srikanth, Kashyap enter quarterfinals:

Four Indianshuttlers, including PVSindhu and KidambiSrikanth, progressed to thequarterfinals of the SwissOpen badmintontournament on Thursday. Former top 10 player HSPrannoy advanced after a close contest. Parupalli Kashyap made the grade after top seed and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen gave a walkover. AGENCIES

B

Sindhu, Prannoy enter Swiss Open semifinals:

PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy stormed into the semifinals of the Swiss Open with straight-game victories on Friday. Sindhu defeated Michelle Li 21-10, 21-19. Prannoy beat Parupalli Kashyap 21-16, 21-16.

C

Sindhu, Prannoy in Swiss Open final


Basel : Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and H S Prannoy made their way to the women’s and men’s finals respectively at the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament here on Saturday. World No. 7 Sindhu prevailed 21-18 15-21 21-19 over Thailand’s Supanida

Katethong in a 79-minute women’s singles semifinal to make her second successive final after Prannoy eked out a hard-fought 21-19 19-21 21-18 win over Indonesia’s world number 5 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting for his first summit clash in five years.


Sindhu will face another Thai player and fourth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the summit clash on Sunday, while Prannoy, who had last won the US Open in 2017, will take on either compatriot Kidambi Srikanth or Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in the men's singles final, also on Sunday.
PTI

D

Sindhu wins title; Prannoy Runner-Up

Manne Ratnakar, March 28, 2022: The Times of India

It was mixed luck for India at the Swiss Open Super 300 tournament in Basel on Sunday. While former world champion PV Sindhu had it easy in the women’s final against Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand and won 21-16, 21-8, HS Prannoy had to rest content with a runner-up finish following his 12-21, 18-21 defeat to Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.


World No. 7 Sindhu capitalised on the weak field in Basel to win her second title of the year. The absence of the Japanese duo, Akane Yamaguchi and Nozomi Okuhara and other top shuttlers like Tai Tzu Ying, Ratchanok Intanon and the last minute pullout of the Chinese team made Sindhu the top seed and a clear favourite. Sindhu’s other title this year was the Lucknow Open.


Sindhu, who lost in the second round of the All England Super 1000 and German Open Super 300 events in the last three weeks, enjoyed an overwhelming 15-1 win-loss record against the Thai and the Indian took 49 minutes to seal the contest against the world No. 11 Thai.

Sindhu faced some resistance in the first game, as Busanan tried to test the Indian at the net like her compatriot Supaninda Katethong did in her defeat to Sindhu in the semifinal on Saturday.

But that ploy did not work as Sindhu anticipated most of the net shots. Busanan stayed close till 15-16. Thereafter, Sindhu moved ahead as Busanan made three unforced errors. The Indian clinched the game with ease.

In the second game, Sindhu got off to a blazing start. She won the first five points and went into the break with a nine-point lead at 12-2. There was no way Busanan could come back from there. From 12-4, Sindhu made it 20-4 and soon finished the match.

Though it is only a Super 300 tournament, it will bolster Sindhu’s confidence. The two-time Olympic medallist was at her fluent best against Busanan.

Prannoy, who last won a title in 2017, gave it his best but Christie was too good for the Indian. Executing fastpaced drives and dipping smashes with ease, Christie widened the gap to 12-8 and then took the first game after a splendid seven-point burst.

Christie employed the same strategy in the second game too as he broke free from the Indian at 13-13 and made it 20-15. Prannoy saved three match points but he was only delaying the inevitable.

Despite the loss, it was a creditable achievement by Prannoy, who battled several injuries throughout his career and was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2018.

2023

A

March 25, 2023: The Times of India

Satwik-Chirag duo enters QFs; Sindhu exits


Basel: PV Sindhu failed to defend her Swiss Open title as she was shocked 15-21 21-12 18-21 by unseeded Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in the second round. But second-seeded men’s pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the quarters with a 12-21 21-17 28-26 win over Taiwanese pair of FangChih Lee and Fang-Jen Lee.

B: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter Swiss open men’s doubles finals

March 26, 2023: The Times of India

The dynamic Indian doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty closed in on their first title of the year. The duo recovered to down Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee yi of Malaysia 21-19, 17-21, 21-17 in the Swiss Open BWF Super-300 semifinal in Basel. In the final, the second-seeded Indians will face unseeded Chinese duo of Ren Xiang Yu and Tan Qiang, who eased past the English pair of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-10, 21-17. This would their first meeting between the two. The world No. 21 Chinese pair have not lost a single game in Basel.


In the first game of their semifinal encounter, the Indians came back from 17-19 to clinch the game. However, they failed to find their range and lost the second. In the decider, the Indians raised their game from the sixth point. From 6-7 they raced to 11-7 and then to 15-9, leaving very little scope for the Malaysians to make a comeback.


Two Japanese teams will battle out for top honours in women’s doubles. Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto will play Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hiroto in the final.


Earlier, Satwik and Chirag defeated the Danish pair of Jeppe Bay and Lasse Molhede in three hard-fought games in the quarters. The Indian pair fought off the challenge in 84 minutes, winning 15-21, 21-11, 21-14. It wasn’t a great start as Satwik-Chirag lost the first game easily at 15-21. At one point, the duo did reduce the deficit to 15-16. However, the Danish pair won six consecutive points to wrap up the first game. The Indian pair picked up the tempo in the second and quickly got a seven-point cushion at the halfway break. They extended the lead to 10 points, and as a result parity was restored.


The third game started on an even keel but the Indians were fantastic at the net as they first got an 11-7 lead and then maintained a seven-point advantage till the end of the match. A tournament win will be a good comeback for the pair after a disappointing early round exit at the All England Championships.

C

March 27, 2023: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the Swiss Open, their first title of the year with a 21-19, 24-22 victory against Chinese pair of Tang Qian and Ren Yu Xiang in Basel.

This is the fifth world tour title for the Indian pair after the Hyderabad Open in 2018, Thailand Open in 2019, India Open, French Open and World Championships bronze in 2022. 
In 2022, they won two major titles, Commonwealth Games gold and helped India win the Thomas Cup.


On Sunday, looked flawless against a Chinese pair that did not lose a single game. In the first game, the Indians moved ahead to 18-13 but the Chinese pair made it 19-18. Having only onepoint lead, the Indians did not hesitate to play their trademark smashes. First it was Chirag and then Satwik came with another smash to clinch the game. 
The second game was closely fought. The Indians squandered two match points at 20-18 and saved one at 21-22.


Net chord saved the Chinese twice and they were up 22-21, but at this crucial juncture another net chord secured a point for India.


At 23-22, Satwik served and what followed was a ferociously fought rally involving all the four players. Despite playing a couple of smashes the Indians were in control and focused more on returning the shuttle. Finally Tan’s backhand return crashed into the net setting off wild celebrations among the Indians.


Coach Mathias Boe jumped in delight from his courtside seat and Chirag removed his T-shirt to join the celebrations.


Incidentally, this is the first doubles title for India in Switzerland. Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy have all won singles titles here. This is the first Super-300 title for Satwik-Chirag, earlier they had won Super-500, Super-750 and Super-100 titles.

2024

Srikanth, Rajawat in quarters of Swiss Open

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s run at the Swiss Open was cut short by a Japanese teenager, while top Indian male shuttler Lakshya Sen lost to Lee Chia-Hao of Chinese-Taipei in the pre-quarterfinals of the Super 300 tournament here. Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth, Priyansh Rajawat and Kiran George won their respective men’s singles round-of 16 matches to advance to the quarterfinals late on Thursday night. Sindhu, after bowing out in the second round of the recently-concluded All England Championships, lost to Japan's 17-year-old junior world champion Tomoka Miyazaki 21-16 19-21 16-21, while Sen was eliminated by Lee Chia-hao 17-21 15-21 in the round-of 16 contest.

Srikanth in semis of Swiss Open

Basel: Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the Swiss Open when he progressed to the semifinals with a straight-game win over Chinese Taipei’s Chia Hao Lee. Playing his 8th tournament this season, Srikanth finally got some momentum as he made his first final four appearance in 16 months with a 21-10 21-14 win over Lee.

Syed Modi International 

2022

Semi-finals

January 22, 2022: The Times of India

Lucknow: Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu reached the women’s singles final of the Syed Modi International badminton tournament after her fifth seeded Russian opponent Evgeniya Kosetskaya retired hurt midway into their semifinal. Sindhu, the top seed, easily pocketed the first game 21-11 before Kosetskaya conceded the second women’s singles semifinal match. Former wor ld champion Sindhu will face compatriot Malvika Bansod in the summit clash.

Malvika defeated another Indian, Anupama Upadhyaya, 19-21 21-19 21-7 in a tough th ree-game contest. It was expected to be an easy outing for Sindhu going by form, world ranking as well as head-to-head record. Ranked seventh in the BWF rankings, Sindhu had defeated wor ld number 28 Kosetskaya twice before Saturday’s tie, and the Indian ace once again came out on top to extend her dominant r ecord against the Russian.

However, it was curtains for In dia in men singles as Mithun Manjunath fought his heart out before bowing out 19-21 21-17 9-21 against Arnaud Merkle of France in the semifinals. In the women’s doubles the seventh seeded Indian pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand entered the final with a comefrom-behind 17-21 21-8 21-16 win over Malaysian duo of Low Yu an and Valeree S iow.

It will be an all-Indian contest in the mi xed doubles final with the pairs of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto squaring off against T Hema Nagendra Babu and Srivedya Gurazada. PTI

Sindhu beats Malvika in finals

January 22, 2022: The Times of India

Lucknow: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu eased past young compatriot Malvika Bansod in straight games to win her second women’s singles title at the Syed Modi International badminton tournament here on Sunday. Playing in a depleted field due to multiple Covid-19 cases, top seed Sindhu hardly broke her sweat to get past Bansod 2113, 21-16 in a lop-sided title contest.


The final lasted just 35 minutes. It was former world champion Sindhu’s second Syed Modi title after having annexed the BWF World Tour Super 300 event in 2017.

Before that, seventh seeded Indians Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto clinched the mixed doubles title with a straight game win over compatriots T Hema Nagendra Babu and Srivedya Gurazada.

Bhatnagar and Crasto inflicted a 21-16, 21-12 on the unseeded Indian duo in the summit clash that ended in 29 minutes.

Earlier, the men’s singles final between Arnaud Merkle and Lucas Claerbout was declared a ‘No Match’ after one of the finalists tested positive for Covid-19. It was expected to be a one-sided women’s singles match between world number seven Sindhu and young Bansod, ranked 84th in the world, and it turned out to be exactly that. Sindhu used her vast experience and skills to great effect as Bansod found it extremely difficult to adjust to her opponent’s game from the onset.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist took off from the word go and raced to a 7-0 lead in no time. The ace shuttler used her height and reach to great effect to increase her lead to11-1 at the break.

After the break, Bansod tried to up her game and collected a few points to close the gap but it was no match for a much superior Sindhu, who closed out the first game with consummate ease. The second game, however, produced a better contest with Bansod trying her best to lift her game, and she did that too, but it was not enough to challenge Sindhu’s class. Sindhu used her height to mix her smashes with pinpoint drop shots, which Bansod failed to counter as the Olympic medallist raced to a11-4 lead at the break. PTI

Men’s final declared ‘No Match’ as finalist tests +ve

Lucknow: The men’s singles final of the Syed Modi India International badminton tournament here on Sunday was declared as a ‘No Match’ after one of the finalists tested positive for Covid-19. The all-French clash was scheduled between Arnaud Merkle and Lucas Claerbout.

“The men’s singles final of the Syed Modi India International 2022 has been declared a ‘No Match’. BWF can confirm one of the finalists tested positive for Covid-19 this morning,” the Badminton World Federation said in a statement.

“The other finalist is deemed a close contact and has also been withdrawn. Details on winner status, world ranking points and prize money will be revealed in due course. Today’s other four finals will go ahead as scheduled,” the BWF added. PTI

2024

B

Dec 1, 2024: The Times of India

Lucknow : Top Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen cruised to the women’s and men’s singles finals with dominating victories at the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament here Saturday. Top seed Sindhu outclassed the 17-year-old compatriot Unnati Hooda 21-12 21-9 in just 36 minutes in the semifinal, while Lakshya outclassed Japan's Shogo Ogawa 21-8 21-14 in 42 minutes. Hooda struggled to challenge Sindhu, committing a series of unforced errors that allowed her illustrious opponent to maintain control throughout the match.


“I am happy with today’s performance. From the beginning, I maintained the lead. I was just trying out a few strokes and overall, I was confident with the way I was playing,” Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, said after the match. “Unnati played her best, but I didn’t give her a chance to overtake me. She is an upcoming player, and I wish her all the very best.” A former world champion, Sindhu, currently ran ked 18th, will face China's Wu Luo Yu in the final as she chases her third Syed Modi International title.


“I need to g o back and prepare for tomorrow because it's not going to be easy. Fr om the beginning, I need to give my best,” said Sindhu. Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya, on the other hand, will face Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh in the summit clash. India’s mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila advanced to the final with a convincing straight-game victory over China's Zhi Hong Zhou and Jia Yi Yang. PTI

Taipei Open Super 300

2023

June 23, 2023: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy bowed out of the Taipei Open Super 300 tournament after suffering a straight-game defeat in the quarterfinal.

World no.9 Prannoy lost to Hong Kong's fifth-seed Ng Ka Long Angus 19-21, 8-21 in a lop-sided contest.

Coming into the match with a 6-5 head-to-head record, third seed Prannoy matched his rival in the beginning but as the match wore on, he crumbled.

(With inputs from PTI)

Thailand Open

2022

A

Sindhu seizes semifinal spot in Thailand Open

Bangkok: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu eked out a three-game win over world number 1 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan to make it to the semifinals of the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament here on Friday. The sixth seeded Indian prevailed 21-15, 20-22, 21-13 over second seeded Japanese in 51 minutes to set up aclash with Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China.

2023

A

Manne Ratnakar, June 4, 2023: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen fought hard before losing to Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-13, 17-21, 13-21 in the men's singles semifinals of the Thailand Open BWF Super-500 in Bangkok.

The 21-year-old won the first game effortlessly and was leading 17-15 in the second before Vitidsarn changed the complexion of the game by adopting an aggressive approach. He fired two smashes to draw level with Lakshya. The momentum shifted in favour of Vitidsarn, who scored the next point with another fast-paced rally.

Thereafter, Vitidsarn grew in confidence while Lakshya started making mistakes. From 15-17, Vitidsarn scored six straight points to push the contest into the decider. In the third game, Lakshya secured an early lead at 10-6. But after the change of courts Vitidsarn dominated the game. From 14-12, he came up with a six point burst and gave no chance for Lakshya to make a comeback.

Despite the loss, Lakshya gave a good account of himself and would be very happy with his performance. After a splendid show in 2022, Lakshya lost his rhythm due to injuries. With this performance Lakshya got his confidence back and would look to improve upon this performance. In the final, Vitidsarn will face Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, who defeated Toma Popov of France 21-14, 21-16.

Thailand Open BWF Super-500

2024

A

May 19, 2024: The Times of India

Top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty took just 35 minutes to defeat Ming Che Lu and Tang Kai Wei of Chinese Taipei 21-11, 21-12 in the men's doubles semifinals of the Thailand Open BWF Super-500 tournament in Bangkok. However, the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto suffered a 12-21, 20-22 defeat to top seeds Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand in the semifinals.


The Indian girls worked hard in the second game and saved three match points from 17-20 before losing on extra points. Earlier, SatwikChirag eased past their lowerranked opponents. In the final, they will face Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi, who defeated Kim Gi Jung and Kim Sa Rang of Korea 21-19, 21-18 in the other semifinal.


The Asian champions had won their first Super-500 title at the same venue and Satwik was elated. “This is our favourite place. We had won our first big title here and also the Thomas Cup in 2022,” said Satwik. This is the fourth final of the year for the top Indian pair. They won the French Open Super-750 in March and lost in the finals of Malaysia Open and India Open.
“We want to play as many tournaments as possible before the Olympics. We didn’t play well in the last couple of tournaments. We want to get into good rhythm before the Olympics,” Satwik said.

B: Satwik-Chirag win title

May 20, 2024: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty got a much-needed boost ahead of the Paris Olympics with a triumph in Bangkok on Sunday. The top seeds did not drop a game on the way to the title and defeated Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi of China 21-15, 21-15 in the final of the Thailand Open BWF Super-500 tournament. 
Satwik-Chirag had announced their arrival on the world stage with the Thailand Open victory in 2019 and this is the second title of the year for the duo after the French Open Super-750 in March.


“This is a lucky venue for us. Our journey started here in 2019 and we went on to win many tournaments. Hopefully, this victory will help us do well in big tournaments, and also the Olympics,” Satwik said.
 This is the ninth BWF Tour title for the duo and their fourth Super-500 crown. They have also won two Super-750 and one Super-1000 titles. They are the only Indians to win Asian Games gold and were also the Asian champions.


Despite being 26 rungs behind the world No. 3 Indians, at 29, the Chinese fought well in the first game. The Indians fell four points behind at one stage (6-10) before recovering to secure a 14-12 lead. “We know that they play very fast and we couldn’t relax. This is the best match we played throughout the tournament. The good thing is we were calm and in control,” Satwik added.


The Indians started brightly in the second game, leading 11-6 at one point. At 15-11 however, the Chinese fought back and made it 15-16. Both teams shifted to a faster gear with the Indians managing to collect the next five points. The main ad-vantage for the Satwik-Chirag duo was their smashing prow-ess. Satwik won the 20th point with three straight smashes. Lu managed to return two but could not hold on to the third. Chirag secured the winning point with another smash winner.
The duo will skip next week’s Malaysia Super-500 but have a date with the Singapore Super-750 later this month, as part of their preparation for the Olympics in July.


Chirag hopes all the hard work will come good in Paris. “All the athletes would want to win an Olympic medal. We want it too and hopefully we will play well there,” he said.
Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia and Supanida Katethong of Thailand won the men’s and women’s singles titles.


OTHER RESULTS (FINALS): Men’s singles: 6-Lee Zii Jia (Mas) bt Ng Ka Long Angus (Hkg) 21-11, 21-10. Women’s doubles: 1-Jongkolphan Kititharakul/ Rawinda Prajongjai (Tha) bt 3-Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/ Amallia Cahayu Pratiwi (Ina) 21-14, 21-14. Women’s singles: 6-Supanida Katethong (Tha) bt Han Yue (Chn) 21-16, 25-23. Mixed doubles: 5-Guo Xin Wa/ Chen Fang Hui (Chn) bt 1-Dechapol Puavaranukroh/ Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 12-21, 21-12, 21-18.

The form of top players

Sindhu, Saina: Poor form after Sept

Sindhu and Saina’s form was not good after September
From: Shashank.Shekhar, Nov 21, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Sindhu and Saina’s form was not good after September

Thomas Cup

2022

A

May 10, 2022: The Times of India

Indian women qualified for the knockouts of the Uber Cup with a convincing 4-1 victory against USA in Group D in Bangkok. The Indians, who defeated Canada 4-1 on Sunday, have assured themselves of a top-two finish in the group along with South Korea. India face Korea in their last league 
match with the winners topping the group. Indian men have already made it to the knockouts of the Thomas Cup.


A win in the last eight will ensure a medal for the teams. Results (Group D): India bt USA 4-1 (PV Sindhu bt Jennie Gai 21-10, 21-11; Tanisha Crasto/Treesa Jolly bt Franscesca Corbett/Allison Lee 21-19, 21-10; Aakarshi Kashyap bt Esther Shi 21-18, 21-11; Simran Singh/Ritika Thaker lost to Lauren Lam/Kodi Tang Lee 12-21, 21-17, 13-21). 


B

Manne Ratnakar, May 13, 2022: The Times of India

HS Prannoy provided the finishing touch as Indian men assured themselves of their first Thomas Cup medal in 43 years. The last time India reached the semifinals was in 1979. Ridi ng on the victories of Kidambi Srikanth, Prannoy and the doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India defeated Malaysia 3-2 to storm into the semifinals of Thomas Cup while the wome n’s team exited Uber Cup after losing 0-3 to Thailand. 
Both India and Malaysia were tied at 2-2 before Prannoy played Leong Jun Hao. ‘The Beast’ as he is fondly called by his teammates, delive red a telling blow on Malaysia with a 21-13, 21-8 victory against Leong.

Satwik and Chirag revived the Indian campaign after Lakshya Sen lost the first match to Lee Zii Jia 21-23, 9-21. Satwik-Chirag drubbed Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 21-19, 21-15 to level the rubber for India. Later, Srikanth defeated Ng Tze Yong 21-11, 21-17 to make it 2-1 for India.

However, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Pan jala lost to Aaron Chia and Teo Ee Yi 19-21, 17-21 before Prannoy sealed the issue.

Earlier, Thailand wrapped up the rubber in 2-1/2 hours. PV Sindhu slipped against Ratchanok Intanon and lost 21-18, 17-21, 12-21. The Indian was never there in the contest in the second game as Intanon took a 11-4 lead and dominated. In the decider, Intanon broke free from 14-12 to wrap up the match. The duo of Shruti Mishra and Simran Singhi lost 16-21, 13-21 to Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai.

Pornpawee Chochuwong sealed the issue for Thailand with a 21-16, 21-11 victo ry against Aakarshi Kashyap.

RESULTS (QFS):

Thomas Cup: India bt Malaysia 3-2 (Lakshya lost to Lee Zii Jia 21-23, 9-21; Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty bt Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin 21-19, 21-15; Kidambi Srikanth bt Ng Tze Yong 21-11, 21-17; Krishna Prasad Garaga/Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala lost to Aaron Chia/ Teo Ee Yi 19-21, 17-21; HS Prannoy bt Leong Jun Hao 21-13, 21-8) . Uber Cup: Thailand bt India 3-0 (Ratchanok Intanon bt PV Sindhu 18-21, 21-17, 21-12; Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai 21-16, 21-13; Pornpawee Chochuwong bt Aakarshi Kashyap 21-16, 21-11).

C: India beats Denmark To Make First-Ever Thomas Cup Final

Manne Ratnakar, May 14, 2022: The Times of India

Like in the quarterfinals, HS Prannoy pulled off a thriller in India’s Thomas Cup semifinal against Denmark. Making light of a painful injury he sustained during the first game, HS Prannoy won the decider against Rasmus Gemke 13-21, 21-9, 21-12 to put India in their first-ever final, in Bangkok.

Limping for most part of the third game, Prannoy could not believe his luck as he won the last point to help Indian down Denmark 3-2 in the semifinals. 


His teammates charged on to the court and celebrated India’s best ever triumph in a team event.


Playing with his ankle strapped, Prannoy slipped before the mandatory break in the first game and aggravated his injury. The doctor was called courtside and a struggling Prannoy lost the first game as he was unable to move well.

But encouraged by his vociferous teammates from the stands, the determined shuttler came back strongly in the second. Though struggling to mov e, Prannoy controlled the front court and won the second game. Thereafter, he played his attacking game, hitting smashes with ease and maintained a fivepoint lead for most of the thir d game Earlier, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shet- ty revived India’s campaign after Lakshya Sen lost the first singles against Viktor Axelsen 13-21, 13-21. The duo played their hearts out to quell a spirited fig htback from Kim Astrup and Mathias Christiansen 21-18, 21-23, 22-20. The Indians moved ahead of the Danes from the 14th point. In the second game, Satwik-Chirag were on the verge of victory at 20-18 but their opponents saved two match points before pushing the match into the decider by winning the second. In the third game too, the Danes saved three match points from 17-20 but the Indians had the last laugh by wi nning two big points.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth put India ahead with an impressive 21-18, 12-21, 21-15 victory against world No. 3 Anders Antonsen. Srikanth, who is in good form here, recovered after losing the second game and dominated Antonsen in the third.

However, Denmark drew level as Anders Skaarup Rasmussen and Frederik Sogaard drubbed the inexperienced pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala 21-14, 21-13. And just when the match hung in balance, Prannoy rose to the occasion.

India await the winners of the other semifi nal between Indonesia and Japan.

D: India beats Indonesia, wins Cup

Manne Ratnakar, May 16, 2022: The Times of India

Thomas Cup- Badminton- India- 2022
From: Manne Ratnakar, May 16, 2022: The Times of India

For all those who never got to experience the miracle of 1983 as it unfolded in real time, this is a lot what it felt like. True, the Indian men’s badminton team may not have been rank outsiders to the extent that Kapil’s Devils were. But on Sunday, they were up against the weight of history. India had never played in a Thomas Cup final before, and were facing the most decorated team in the history of men’s badminton — Indonesia, which boast 14 titles in the world men’s team championship.


India could easily have been overawed by the enormity of the occasion. Instead, they repeatedly dug deep to come back from initial reverses and turn the tide. Lakshya Sen, all of 20 and already a legend in the making, was thrashed 8-21 in the first game but fought back to win the next two 21-17, 21-16. The duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy lost the first game but saved fo- ur match points to win a humdinger 18-21, 23-21, 21-19. By the time Kidambi Srikanth, undefeated in the tournament, took the court, India was daring to dream. About 50 minutes later, the fairytale was complete and India had become only the sixth nation to win the championship in its 73-year history.

2024

A: India finishes second in Group A after China

Manne Ratnakar, May 1, 2024: The Times of India

India lost 0-5 to China and finished second in Group A of the Uber Cup in Chengdu, China. India and China qualified for the quarterfinals from this group.


None of the Indians could win a game against the dominant Chinese. To add to India’s woes, Anmol Kharb twisted her right ankle and retired hurt while trailing 1-4 in the second after losing the first game 9-21 to Han Yue.
By then, India were down 0-2 as Isharani Baruah lost to Chen Yu Fei 12-21, 10-21 and national champions Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra went down 13-21, 12-21 to Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan.


Simran Singhi and Ritikia Thaker also lost to Liu Sheng Shu and Tang Ning 9-21, 10-21 and Tanvi Sharma was routed 7-21, 16-21 by Wang Zhi Yi. The quarterfinals draw will be released on Wednesday.


Isharani said that she made several mistakes. “This is the first time I played a top player. The tempo was quite high but I am not happy with the number of mistakes I made,” Isharani said.
 The men’s team play Indonesia in their last Group C Thomas Cup match.

India and Indonesia have already qualified for the quarterfinals from Group C.


B

Manne Ratnakar, May 2, 2024: The Times of India

Indonesia beat India 4-1 to top Group C in the Thomas Cup in Chengdu, China on Wednesday. Despite the loss, India and Indonesia qualified for the quarterfinals from the group. India have drawn China in the quarterfinals. China topped Group A and have world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi and the world No. 1 doubles outfit of Lian Wei Keng and Wang Chang in their ranks.


HS Prannoy gave India a winning start but the rest of the Indian squad including Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty failed to deliver.


Prannoy fought back after losing the first game to beat world No. 7 Anthony Sinisuka 13-21, 21-12, 21-12. But Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana upset Satwik-Chirag 24-22, 22-24, 21-19 to make it 1-1.


Meanwhile, Indian women were drawn vs Japan in the Uber Cup quarterfinals. China will face Denmark, Indonesiaplay Thailand and Chinese Taipei are up against Korea. Japan boast of a formidable line up with Akane Yamaguchi, Aya Ohori, and Niami MatsuyamaChiharu Shida among others.

C: Indian men, women lose in QFs

Manne Ratnakar, May 3, 2024: The Times of India

Indian men and women bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Thomas and Uber Cup in Chengdu, China. While China dethroned India 3-1 in the Thomas Cup, Japan blanked India 3-0 in Uber Cup.


Only Lakshya Sen secured a point for India, as HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj RankireddyChirag Shetty and the second doubles team of Dhruv KapilaSai Pratheek lost their matches. Lakshya beat Li Shi Feng 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 in the third match to reduce the margin.


World No. 9 Prannoy slumped after winning the first game against world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi 21-15, 11-21, 14-21. Satwik-Chirag failed to get past the world No. 1 pair of Wang Chang and Liang Wei Keng 15-21, 21-11, 12-21. This is their fifth loss in six meetings.
 The makeshift pair of Dhruv and Sai had a lot riding on their performance but they were no match for He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, losing 10-21, 10-21.

Prannoy blamed lack of rest for poor show. “China had an off day yesterday. We had a long day and by the time we returned it was 1.30-2 am. That made some difference,” Prannoy said.


Chirag said that they were not at their best. “The rallies were short, whenever we played long rallies we won. When we play opponents like them, we need to be at our best but we weren’t,” Chirag said.


Earlier, Ashmita Chaliha was the only Indian to take a game off the Japanese. India failed to capitalise on the absence of Japan’s best player Akane Yamaguchi. Ashmita lost to Aaya Ohori 10-21, 22-20, 15-21. Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra were no match for Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. Nozomi Okuhara made short work of Isharani Baruah 21-15, 21-12.


RESULTS (QUARTERFINALS)


Thomas Cup: Shi Yuqi bt HS Prannoy 15-21, 21-11, 21-14; Liang Keng/Wang Chang bt SatwikChirag 21-15, 11-21, 21-12; Li Shi Feng lost to Lakshya Sen 15-21, 21-11, 21-14; He Ji/Ren Xiang bt Dhruv/Sai 21-10, 21-10).


Uber Cup: India lost to Japan 0-3 (Ashmita Chaliha lost to Aya Ohori 10-21, 22-20, 15-21; Priya Konjengbam/Shruti Mishra lost to Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida 8-21, 9-21; Isharani Baruah lost to Nozomi Okuhara 15-21, 12-21).

US Open Super 300

2023

A

July 16, 2023: The Times of India

Council Bluffs: Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu suffered a straight-game defeat to crash out in the quarterfinals, but Lakshya Sen marched into the last-four stage of the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament here. Sindhu, ranked 12th in the world and seeded third here, was stunned 20-22 13-21 by 24-year-old Gao Fang Jie of China in women singles, while Lakshya defeated S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian 21-10 21-17 in an all-Indian men’s singles match.

Lakshya will face second seed Li Shi Feng of China in the semifinals. The Indian enjoys a 5-3 win-loss ratio against Feng. Olympic medallist Sindhu appeared to be fighting hard against her Chinese opponent, ranked 36th in the world, but the Indian’s inability to win long rallies proved to be crucial in the opening game. AGENCIES

B: Lakshya bows out in semis of US Open


Council Bluffs, US: India’s challenge at US Open 2023 badminton tournament came to an end after Lakshya Sen lost in the men’s singles semifinals. Lakshya, currently ranked 12th in the BWF badminton rankings, lost 17-21, 24-22, 17-21 to Li Shi Feng of China in the semis of the the BWF Super 300 tournament. Indian shuttlers will be in action next at the Korea Open, which is scheduled from July 18-23.

2024

A

Malvika shocks Kristy to enter semis: Malvika Bansod stunned Scotland’s Kristy Gilmour in a thrilling three-game match to advance to the women’s singles semifinals of the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament. The 22-yearold from Nagpur, ranked 49th, registered a 10-21 21-15 21-10 win over Kristy, a 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist. In men’s singles, Priyanshu Rajawat produced a good show but couldn’t get past fourth seed Lei Lan Xi of China, losing 21-15 11-21 18-21 in a quarterfinal match. Second seed Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost 17-21 21-17 19-21 to Japanese sixth seed Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato to also end their campaign in the last eight round.

Uber Cup

2021

A

India pip Spain in Uber Cup opener

Aarhus (Denmark): Saina Nehwal was forced to retire midway through her opening match but India’s young brigade produced a clinical display to register a 3-2 win over Spain in the Uber Cup Finals on Sunday. RESULTS: India bt Spain 3-2 (S Nehwal lost to C Azurmendi 20-22, retd; M Bansod bt B Corrales 21-13, 21-15; T Crasto/R Panda bt P Lopez/ L Usle 21-10, 21-8; A Bhatt bt A Setien 21-16, 21-14; A Ponnappa/S Reddy lost to C Azurmendi/B Corrales 18-21, 21-14, 17-21).

B

India in Thomas Cup quarters; women lose

Aarhus (Denmark): The Indian men’s badminton team hammered Tahiti 5-0 to enter the quarterfinals of the Thomas Cup for the first time since 2010 but the women’s team suffered a crushing 0-5 defeat against a strong Thailand in its last group match here. It was the first defeat for Indian women after beating Spain (3-2) and Scotland (4-1). The women’s team has already reached the quarterfinals.

C

Oct 15, 2021: The Times of India

The Indian women’s badminton team crashed out of the Uber Cup after losing to Japan in the quarterfinals while the men completed their group engagements in the Thomas Cup with a defeat to China.

The men’s team, which is already through to the quarterfinals, suffered a 1-4 defeat in their last group match, setting them up against Denmark in the last-eight stage on Friday.

Competing without top stars like P V Sindhu and hampered by the injury-forced ouster of Saina Nehwal, the Indian women were outplayed by their Japanese opponents, who claimed the tie by establishing a 3-0 advantage. Malvika Bansod was no match to world No. 5 Akane Yamaguchi as she lost 12-2117-21 in the first match that lasted 34 minutes.

The pair of Tanisha Carsto and Rutaparna Panda then suffered an 8-21 10-21 defeat against the duo of Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto as Japan took a 2-0 lead. PTI

World Championships

2022

August 27, 2022: Times Now

The Star Indian men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy failed to make it to the finals of the BWF World Championships (August 28). The Indian duo suffered a hard-fought 22-20, 18-21, 16-21 defeat against the Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinal. They settled for a bronze medal.

The Indian pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were defeated by the Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinal of the men's doubles category in the ongoing BWF World Championships 2022 on Saturday.

Despite the loss, the duo will return to the country with a bronze, becoming the first Indian men's pair to do so at the Championships. They had to settle for a bronze after their loss in the semi-final. Playing on court 1, the Indian duo lost the match by 22-20, 18-21, 16-21.

The Indian duo was off to a good start. The first game was a closely contested one with fast-paced action. Chirag and Satwik prevailed in the first game by 22-20.

However, the Malaysian opponents made a comeback in the second game and won it by 18-21 to set up an exciting decider game. Though Chirag and Satwik played well, they just could not match the stroke play and speed of their opponents.

Chia and Yik kept their composure and had an advantage over the Indians in the final game. Though Chirag and Satwik kept fighting back one point at a time, any hopes of victory were done away with as their opponents quickly clinched the required final few points to win the game 16-21.

This match lasted for an hour and 17 minutes. It will also be India's second medal at the Championships from a doubles pair. The duo has given India its 13th medal at the prestigious event.

Earlier on Friday, the duo made history by becoming the first Indian men's pair to secure a medal in BWF World Championships after defeating Japanese duo of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in the quarterfinals.

Playing on court 2, the Indian duo won the match 24-22, 15-21, 21-14.

Chirag and Satwiksairaj had stormed into the quarterfinals on Thursday defeating the Denmark duo of J. Bay and L. Molhede in their round of 16 match.

It took only 35 minutes for them to eliminate their Danish opposition from the competition within two straight games 21-12, 21-10.

Earlier, in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, Chirag and Satwik had also won a gold medal in the men's doubles category.

They had defeated England's Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-15, 21-13 in the finals.

World Junior Championship

2022

A

Oct 29, 2022: The Times of India

SANKAR ASSURED OF BRONZE MEDAL AT JUNIOR WORLDS


Chennai shuttler S Sankar Muthusamy is the lone bright spot for India at the World Junior Badminton Championships. The former junior world No. 1 assured himself of the bronze as he stormed into the semifinals with a hard-fought victory against Hu Zhen An of China 21-18, 8-21, 21-16 in the quarterfinals in Santander, Spain. Other promising names like Unnati Hooda and Anupama Upadhyaya lost i n the earlier rounds. This would be India's 10th medal at the junior Worlds. Indian youngsters have won one gold, three silver and five bronze medals in this tournament in the past.


Saina Nehwal, who won the title in 2008, was the only world junior champion from India. Lakshya Sen won bronze in the 2018 edition.


Unlike other Indian medallists, Sankar is not a product of any top badminton academy. On Friday, the 18-year-old recovered after losing the second game to dominate the Chinese in the third. Despite losing the second game with a big margin, Sankar made a sp irited comeback and dominated Zhen in the decider. In the semifinals, Sankar will face Panitchapon Teeraratsakul of Thailand, who defeated Pan Yin Long of China.

B

Oct 31, 2022: The Times of India

Feisty Sankar loses in final:


A gallant fight back towards the end of the match was not enough as Subramanian Sankar Muthusamy went down fighting against Kuo Kuan Lin of Chinese Taipei 14-21, 20-22 in the men’s singles fi nal of BWF World Junior Championships in Santander, Spain. 
Trailing 14-20, after losing the first game, Sankar saved six match points, before losing the tie against Lin. Despite st aying close to his rival in the first part of both the games, Sankar failed to keep pace with Lin after the 11th point in both the games.


However, in the second game, Sankar made one serious bid to stay in the contest by winning six points on trot to move to 20-20, but luck eluded the Indian at the crucial juncture. With this loss, Sankar is the only second Indian boy after Siril Verma to win a silver at the World Junior Championship.


Saina Nehwal is the only Indian to win the junior world title (2008).

2023

Finish 7th

Sep 30, 2023: The Hindu

India’s Samarveer and Radhika Sharma defeated Tanakorn Meechai and Fungfa Korpthammakit 11-21, 21-19, 21-18 in mixed doubles to make a positive start.

India defeated Thailand 3-1 to finish in the seventh spot at the mixed team events of the Badminton World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA.

India’s Samarveer and Radhika Sharma defeated Tanakorn Meechai and Fungfa Korpthammakit 11-21, 21-19, 21-18 in mixed doubles to make a positive start.

World Tour Finals, BWF

2023: Rule change eliminates Indian duo

Manne.Ratnakar, Dec 13, 2023: The Times of India

Indian duo at receiving end of BWF rule

Hyderabad : The BWF World Tour Finals got underway in Hangzhou on Wednesday. But for the first time since 2010, no Indian will be part of the year-end major. Only the top-8 in the World Tour rankings make it to the Finals for which a different ranking system is adopted.
The top doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are No.2 in the world rankings but are No.10 in the Tour rankings.While the best 10 tournaments are considered for World rankings, points from 14 tournaments are taken into account to determine the Tour rankings. Satwik-Chirag, the Asian champions, Asiad g old m edallists and the Indonesia Super 1000 champions, thus missed the bus as the Asian tournaments are not considered for World Tour rankings.
A few early exits in big tournaments also marred their prospects.

Winning the Asian Championships is as good as winning the Worlds as all the top doubles players hail from Asia. Satwik-Chirag, considered among the best in the world, were also forced to miss key tournaments due to injuries. Satwik-Chirag not p laying the World Tour Finals is a shame, says renowned coach U Vimal Kumar. “Satwik-Chirag should have been there. BWF considers the 14 best results for qualifying. The Asian championships were not considered and that affected our chances. They are the most followed pair and it is a shame that they are not competing,” Vimal said. HS Prannoy, who won a bronze at the World championships also failed to make it. Prannoy’s world ranking is No.8 while his World Tour ranking is No.12.

2001

Triumph at All-England Championships

Pullela Gopichand, March 18, 2020: The Times of India

As Indians we’ve always identified with the All-England Championships. And even now as a coach when I look back, my triumph in 2001 keeps coming back. It’s a defining moment and Indians always looked at the tournament as something huge and compared it to Wimbledon. Prakash sir’s win in 1980 has always been an inspiration for me growing up and the atmosphere in Birmingham is special.

I had no expectations going into the tournament in 2001. I had a very bad experience during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. I expected a lot in Sydney and ended up being bitterly disappointed so I made it a point to not go into All-England with any expectation. The lesson learnt at Olympics was so harsh that it was a deliberate ploy so as to avoid disappointment. I prepared very well, but had no expectations.

2014:Watershed year

The Times of India

Dec 27 2014

UNPRECEDENTED LEAP IN BADMINTON

Amit Kumar Das

It turned out to be a watershed year for Indian badminton as the home shuttlers clinched no less than eight individual titles and also broke new grounds in team championships, making India a dominant force at the international stage Saina Nehwal and K. Srikanth clinching titles at China Super Series Premier and P.V. Sindhu bagging five bronze, including a World Championship medal, besides the historic bronze medals at Uber Cup and Asian Games, were the highlights of the year in which Indian badminton achieved unprecedented success at the global platform. If Saina led the resurgence of Indian badminton in the last few years, the year also saw the emergence of younger stars, who made it a terrific season with the help of their stupen dous performance.

While Saina scooped three titles, Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap, Aravind Bhat, Sindhu and H.S. Prannoy -all laid their hands on the crown at least once in the year gone by.In fact, Saurabh Verma and P.C. Thulasi also won titles in the International challenge category.

It was yet again Saina who set things in motion with a victory at the India Grand Prix Gold, which finally broke her long title drought. The Indian ace added two more titles to her kitty, clinching the Australia Super Series at Sydney in June and China Super Series Premier at Fuzhou in November.

While Saina blew hot and cold, teen sensation Sindhu continued to make big strides in world badminton with her performance, which saw her reach the finals of India Grand Prix Gold first in Lucknow and then winning the bronze at the Asian Badminton Championship in Gimcheon.

In fact, Indian women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Poppanna also made their presence felt by clinching the bronze in the same tournament in April.

Next month, India hosted the prestigious Thomas and Uber Cup Finals for the first time and Saina and Sindhu ensured that it turned out to be a memorable one as they shepherded the women's team to a historic bronze.

Sindhu had a golden chance of winning the Commonwealth Games women's singles title in July but the Indian had to settle for a bronze when she lost to Michelle Li of Canada.

2014: Shuttlers: Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu

The Times of India, Dec 31 2014

The fabulous feats of Indian shuttlers made 2014 the breakout year for Indian badminton. But no one could match the achievement of Kidambi Srikanth. Defying all predictions, the 21-year-old won the China Open Super Series, beating multiple World and Olympic champion Lin Dan in the final. He finished the year ranked No. 4 in the world. After a barren 2013, Saina Nehwal made an impressive comeback this year. She thrashed World Champion Carolina Marin of Spain to clinch the Australian Super Series and then grabbed the China Open, beating the Chinese on way to the final. PV Sindhu bagged bronze in Glasgow and helped the Indian team claim its first-ever Asiad and Uber Cup bronze.

2015

Garaga, Rankireddy win Badminton Asia Championships boys doubles

The Times of India, October 12, 2015

The budding doubles duo of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clinched boys doubles gold in the Badminton Asia Championships in Kudus, Indonesia Jayaram outclassed Raul Must of Indonesia in straight games 21-12, 21-18. Under-17 boys Krishna and Satwik, who train at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy , trounced Jun Hau Leong and Fong Hau Sim of Malaysia 21-16, 21-15 in straight games. Such was the domina tion of these Hyderabadi shuttlers that they did not even lose a single game in the entire tournament. Not only that, they were not even forced to save a game point. In 2014, KrishnaSatwik claimed bronze at this Continental meet.

October 2015: Srikanth climbs to fifth in rankings; Saina is second

The Times of India, Oct 30 2015

Srikanth climbs to fifth in rankings; Saina is second

Top Indian male shutler Kidambi Srikanth climbed up place to fifth, while Saina Nehwal remained static on No. 2 in the atest Badminton World Federa ion (BWF) rankings released on Thursday . Srikanth gained a spot n the men's singles ranking.

Manu-Sumeeth bag GP title in Mexico

The Times of India Dec 22 2015

Manne Ratnakar

Hyderabad

Ending a five-year drought, the fast rising doubles combination of Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy claimed their maiden Grand Prix crown with a 22-20, 21-18 victory over BodinIssara and NipitphonPuangpuapech of Thailand in the Mexico Open final on Sunday . The duo, who trains at the Pullela Gopichand Academy here, faced a stiff resistance in the first game as the Thais saved four game points from 1620 before the Indians claimed it. In the second, the Indians got off to a brisk start and maintained a healthy lead over their rivals right throughout. After Olympians Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas won the Bitburger Open in 2010, this is the best ever performance by an Indian men's doubles team. “This is a great win for both of us.We've worked really hard and this is the result of our hard work. We would like to thank our coach Pullela Gopichand, doubles coach Kim Tan Her and BAI officials for supporting us. Many thanks to our parents, it's because of their prayers and blessings we are here,“ Manu told TOI from Mexico City on Monday . The players, who have been consistent this year, were close to clinching their first GP title twice before. They missed out winning the titles in US Grand Prix in June and Dutch Open in October despite dishing out some inspired performances in the initial rounds. “It turned out to be a good year for us. And finishing off with a title is amazing. We started confidently . It was a bit tricky in the final, it was all about speed and tactics,“Sumeeth said.

2016

2016: Asia Championship

The Times of India, Feb 21 2016

Manne Ratnakar

Shuttlers lose in Asia C'ship semis

HS Prannoy , saviour of the hosts for the last two days, could not repeat the magic as his team bowed out of the tie much before his arrival, losing 1-3 to Indonesia in the semifinals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium. With this loss Indian men bagged the bronze medal, their first in last three decades.

Though Kidambi Srikanth gave a solid start to his team, the hosts lost the next three ties and crashed out of the tournament. After winning the first game without much difficulty against in form Tommy Sugiarto, Srikanth was unlucky to lose the closely-fought second game. However, the top ranked Indian shifted gears in the decider and played an attacking game to oust Tommy 21-14, 23-25, 21-9.

Doubles pair of Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy proved no match for Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan 21-11, 2110. In the second singles, world No.25 Ajay Jayaram tried hard before going down to Anthony Ginting 15-21, 20-22.

2016: Uber Cup

Women

The Times of India, May 20, 2016

Quarterfinals When the top gun, misfired youngster RuthvikaShivani came to the rescue with a stupendous display to assure her team of a bronze with a 3-1 victory against Thailand in the Uber Cup quarterfinals on Thursday.

This will be only the second medal for India at this prestigious team event. Indian women had won bronze at the last edition.

For a long time, Saina Nehwal had carried Indian hopes. But the off-colour Hyderabadi faltered on the day to give India a poor start. PV Sindhu, however, stepped up and put the campaign back on rails with a dominant 21-18, 21-7 victory against Busanan Ongbumrungphan.

JwalaGutta and Ashwini Ponnappa made it 2-1for with a 21-19, 21-12 win against PuttitaSupajirakul and SapsireeTaerattanachai.

Ruthvika then proved her mettle. No one expected her to get past a tough opponent like NitchaonJindapol, the world No.25 who has been giving top shuttlers a tough time. She had even defeated PV Sindhu in January this year.Ruthvika came up with a stunning show and registered a 21-18, 21-16 victory . Leading 20-10, Ruthvika conceded eight points before winning the first game at 21-18.

2017

Badminton Jan to June 2017

The best players

TOISA 2018 NOMINEES: BADMINTON, January 25, 2018: The Times of India

KIDAMBI SRIKANTH (World No. 3 )

Building on the promise shown during his run to the quarterfinals of the men’s singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Srikanth made it large last year. He won four Superseries titles in 2017, the most ever by an Indian, and moved to No. 2 in the BWF men’s singles rankings. Srikanth’s first title was the Indonesia Open, where he beat Japan’s

PV SINDHU (World No. 3)

After claiming a breakthrough silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sindhu lived up to her billing as the queen of Indian badminton this year by winning two Superseries titles, a silver medal at the Badminton World Championships and another at the BWF World Superseries Finals. Her first Superseries win came in April, when she beat Olympic champion Carolina Marin 21-19, 21-16 to win the India Open for the first time. Days later, she rose to a careerhigh No 2 in the BWF women’s singles rankings. After claiming a silver medal at the Badminton World Championships, only India’s second ever, Sindhu went on to win her second Superseries in October Kazumasa Sakai 21-11, 21-19, and a week later he vanquished the world and Olympic champion Chen Long in straight games 22-20, 21-16 to claim the Australia Open. Later, Srikanth became the second Indian after Prakash Padukone to win the Denmark Open and then created history by claiming the French Open. In addition, Srikanth also reached the final of the Singapore Open.

when she became the first Indian to win the Korea Open. Her other title was the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold. Other close finishes came in the final of the National Badminton Championship and the Hong Kong Superseries, where she was runner-up both times.

SAINA NEHWAL (World No. 10)

A successful, injuryfree year for the 2012 London Olympics medalist. Saina won a Grand Prix Gold, a bronze at the World Championships and her third national title. Won the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix - her 23rd title overall. Won a bronze medal at the Badminton World Championships having reached her recordbreaking seventh consecutive quarterfinal. Beat Olympic gold medal winner and two-time world champion Carolina Marin 22-20, 21-18 in round one of the Denmark Open.

HS PRANNOY (World No. 10)

His most successful year ever, Prannoy won a Grand Prix Gold, reached the semifinals of two Super Series and won the national title for the first time. Claimed his third Grand Prix Gold title by beating compatriot Parupalli Kashyap 21-15, 20-22, 21-12 in the final of the US Open.

Reached the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open Super Series and the French Open. Became the first Indian to beat the big four of world badminton: Taufik Hidayat (2013), Lin Dan (2015), Chong Wei (twice in 2017) and Chen Long (2017). Achieved a career-best position of No. 10.

B SAI PRANEETH (World No. 16)

Having never made it past the quarters of a Super Series of a Grand Prix Gold tournament, Sai beat Kidambi Srikanth in the final of the Singapore Open. In this tournament, he also beat Denmark’s Emil Holst, world No. 23 Qiao Bin, eighth seed Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk and Korea’s Lee Dong Keun to meet Srikanth in the first all-Indian Super Series final. Won his second title of the year in June, beating Indonesia’s Christie Jonatan 17-21, 21-18, 21-19 to clinch the $120,000 Thailand Open. Runnerup at the Syed Modi Grand Prix.

A watershed year

Action Replay 2017: BADMINTON, December 28, 2017: The Times of India

2017 Was A Watershed Year For Indian Badminton As Players Broke New Ground, Writes M Ratnakar

If Saina Nehwal’s hat-trick of titles in 2010 was the catalyst which propelled Indian badminton to a different plane, 2017 has proved to be a watershed year for the sport as Kidambi Srikanth led the boys’ victory parade with four Super Series titles in a calendar year. Since 2010, the sport has witnessed a spiralling success rate every year. The Olympic medal came in 2012 with Saina’s bronze and a podium finish at the World Championships became a regular feature thereafter.

Sindhu’s Olympic silver at the 2016 Olympic Games catapulted the game to new heights of popularity.

However, 2017 has seen greater performances from the Indian shuttlers as 13 major titles have been won by seven different players, apart from PV Sindhu’s silver and Saina’s bronze at the World Championships. Sindhu’s one hour 50-minute marathon against Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the Worlds final will go down in history as an epic encounter.

Never in the past had so many Indian players figured among the winners’ circle. Until 2017, the success stories have been confined to Saina, Sindhu and Srikanth but this year ‘so-called fringe players’ like SAI Praneeth, Sameer Verma, HS Prannoy and even doubles pair of Pranaav Chopra and Sikki Reddy have ensured that the Indian flag flutters with pride at various international events. For a change the boys have leapt past the girls and cornered more glory in 2017. Sindhu won two Super Series titles —India Open and Korea Open — and capped the year with a silver at the year-end Finals in Dubai.

But the year belonged to Srikanth and Co, who have virtually dominated the men’s singles with élan. The Indian boys were everywhere in 2017, winning titles, stunning champions and dominating the men’s singles category. Sameer Verma started it by trumping SAI Praneeth at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold final in January. Thereafter, SAI Praneeth took charge by pocketing his first Super Series at the Singapore Open in April. Interestingly, here too, Praneeth’s opponent was none other than Srikanth.

Praneeth also clinched the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold in June. A fortnight later Srikanth triumphed in the Indonesia Open, the richest Premier event of the year. The 24-year-old went on to clinch back-toback titles, a first in his career, by emerging victorious at the Australian Open Super Series the very next week.

While Indian fans were busy celebrating the unexpected success of their boys, experts have observed a fascinating trend behind these stupendous performances. The Hyderabad boys have been assisting each other in the victories as if they have learnt the art of ‘hunting in packs’.

At the Indonesian Open, HS Prannoy had stunned Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei and Olympic champion Chen Long to clear the path for his training partner Srikanth. Later, Prannoy said that he took tips from seasoned campaigner Parupalli Kashyap on how to beat the Chinese superstar. Prannoy lost to Kazumasa Sakai in the semifinals but passed on some key information to Srikanth, who defeated the Japanese shuttler in the final.

Even at the Denmark Open in October, Prannoy helped Srikanth by ousting Lee Chong Wei in the second round itself. With easier opponents to negotiate at the latter stages, Srikanth claimed his third Super Series title by defeating Korean veteran Lee Hyun Il in the final. The next week at the French Open, Prannoy ousted Lee Hyun in the first round before going down to Srikanth in a keenly-contested semifinal. By claiming top honours in Paris, Srikanth became the fifth shuttler in badminton history to win four Super Series titles in a calendar year. Incidentally, these were also Srikanth’s second back-to-back titles.

It is no secret that the dexterous efforts of Pullela Gopichand is behind their success and the newfound vigour. All these players hail from his academy and have been with him since their childhood.

About five years back, when Saina and Sindhu were making all the headlines, Gopichand had predicted that the boys too will replicate the girls’ success stories soon. But very few took him seriously at that time. However, once Srikanth burst on the scene with a sensational mauling of Lin Dan in the China Open finals in 2014, people began to notice that the boys were coming to the party.

The coach, who is building Indian badminton brick-by-brick, has immense faith in the abilities of his players and is always confident about breaching the difficult barriers. “In my playing days many used to tell us that we can never reach the level of the Chinese. But I always believed that if we have the facilities in place we can achieve a lot. I am only putting a system in place and I am not surprised with these results,” Gopichand said.

Gopichand changed the landscape of badminton but the Dronacharya awardee is yearning for more. He has a few budding shuttlers who are aspiring to follow the footsteps of their illustrious seniors.

But despite these fabulous feats, the bigger trophies like Olympic gold, World Championships crown and All England are missing from the cupboard.The only way the forthcoming years can beat the success of 2017 is if the shuttlers bring these elusive trophies home.

The main stars

M Ratnakar, Smashing success: India ruled the courts, December 28, 2017: The Times of India

It wasn’t just all about Srikanth and Sindhu. Prannoy and Praneeth made heads turn too

—M Ratnakar

KIDAMBI SRIKANTH

Popularising the whiplash smash and reinventing the aggressive style of badminton, Kidambi Srikanth made 2017 the best ever for Indian men. Of the seven Super Series titles India won, Srikanth bagged four. In the first quarter of the year, Srikanth did not do much as was he was recovering from his injuries. But in April he struck form. He lost to Sai Praneeth in the Singapore Super Series final and went on to win back-to-back Super Series titles in Indonesia and Australia. Though he had a disappointing World Championships, he was on a roll in October, once again claiming back-to-back titles in Denmark and France. With these amazing triumphs, Srikanth became only the fifth shuttler in the world to wear four Super Series crowns in a calendar year.

SAINA NEHWAL

Even though she did not win many titles, Saina Nehwal still made her presence felt in 2017. The seasoned campaigner won only one title — the Malaysia Masters — in the last 12 months apart from the bronze at the Worlds, her second successive medal at BWF’s biggest event. However, her crowning glory was the straight-game victory over PV Sindhu in the National Championship final. The ace shuttler, who returned to the Gopichand camp in August after a three-year hiatus, will be keen to win a few more titles with the help of the Dronacharya awardee.

SAI PRANEETH

The supremely talented shuttler lived up to the expectations with two major titles. He started the year by reaching the final of the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold tournament. But the biggest victory of his career came in April when he beat title favourite Srikanth in the final to win the Singapore Open Super Series. He also won the Thailand Grand Prix Gold title in June.

HS PRANNOY

If there was one shuttler who lady luck did not oblige this year, it has to be HS Prannoy. The Kerala shuttler, who is regarded as one of the most deadliest attackers on the circuit, could have won at least two Super Series titles this year. He beat the best in the world, but fortune deserted him at crucial moments. Though he stunned Olympic champ Chen Long and Malaysian great World No.1 Lee Chong Wei, he failed to convert such major victories into titles. However, he helped his friend Srikanth by mowing down these tough nuts. He ended the year with a dominant victory against Srikanth in the National badminton final.

June: The rise of Srikanth, Praneeth, Prannoy

Manne Ratnakar, June 27, 2017: The Times of India

Having played second fiddle to Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu for long, India's male shuttlers, led by K Srikanth, have suddenly created big buzz with several stunning international triumphs recently. TOI looks at the phenomenon...

`Hunting in packs' is the new mantra in Indian men's badminton. The exploits of Kidambi Srikanth, Sai Praneeth and HS Prannoy have catapulted Indian badminton to a new high as a group of Indian men have begun dominating men's singles as never before. Led by Srikanth, they have achieved a rare Super Series hat-trick besides notching up title wins in four of the last five big international tournaments.While Srikanth won the Indonesia and Australia Open Super Series titles, Sai bagged the Singapore Super Series and Thailand Grand Prix Gold crowns.

The support cast too has played a key role in the number of titles won by the Indians. Prannoy and Parupalli Kashyap may not have won titles but they had helped their friends by clear ing their path. In Jakarta, Prannoy knocked out the legendary Lee Chong Wei and Olympic champion Chen Long, thereby letting Srikanth negotiate an easier opponent in the final.

In Australia, Kashyap shut out Indonesia Open finalist Kazumasa Sakai at the qualifying stage itself.

The sterling performance of the Indian boys in the last two months have made them one of the most feared gang of shuttlers in the world arena. Interestingly, most of them are in the 22-24 years age group, making them bright prospects for marquee international events which are coming up -like the Olympic and World Championships.

What makes the scenario even more heartening is that besides these four, there are other talented shuttlers like Ajay Jayaram, Sameer Verma and Sourabh Verma who have been keeping the Indian flag flying.

Undoubtedly, this is the best phase ever in men's singles for India. Earlier, success in this sphere was limited to Prakash Padukone (All England title in 1980) and Pullela Gopichand (All England title in 2001).

After the two major titles _ which were separated by more than two decades _ the best feats were Kashyap win ning the Commonwealth Games Gold and Srikanth clinching the China Open Super Series Premier in 2014. Srikanth added the Indian Open Super Series crown in 2015 while the likes of Jayaram and Sai Praneeth claimed Grand Prix Gold titles. But the major push came in last two months.

Gone are the days when Indians struggled to clear the qualifying stage and breaking into the top-50 was celebrated as a major feat. Our men are in the elite league now. It has taken years of hard work, sweat, sacrifice and a lot of planning to bring about this transformation. A lot of credit for this turn around has to go to National coach Gopichand.

As a player, he faced a series of difficulties, got injured often, found no proper system but still achieved success.Once his career ended, he was determined to build a system. “There was never a dearth of talent in our country .Even during my time we had extremely talented players like Chetan Anand, Anup Sridhar, Arvind Bhatt, Nikhil Kanetkar. But what I realised was that all were crafty but lacked fitness, strength, speed and endurance. To get these things we needed to create a group of people around a player. In our days we never had a proper coaching system, no concept of having a physio, nothing like that. These are the basic necessities and thankfully we have created them now,“ Gopichand said.

Gopichand also realised that the thought process of Indian shuttlers needed to change. “I always used to think different from others. In those days we were told to pick and play small tournaments, win some and improve the rankings. I thought it was wrong. So, I started making Saina (Nehwal) play in Super Series events. We need to believe in ourselves, think big and do what it requires to reach there,“ Gopi said.

Though Gopi achieved success with the girls _ Saina and PV Sindhu _ it took a while for him to replicate it in men's singles. “Success in women was achieved fast because I got two strong girls in Saina and Sindhu. But it took time for me to build that strength and fitness in men. Another area I succeeded in was converting the success at the junior level to senior stage. I also got an excellent support staff,“ Gopi said.

India have as many as six men in the top-35 of world rankings at present. It's a promising position and if the players keep improving, India can become a global power.

With the longevity of shuttlers increasing due to modern training methods, Srikanth & Co will be around for at least another five years during which time they can take Indian badminton to a higher plane. With talented youngsters like Lakshya Sen and Siril Verma waiting in the wings, the future seems to hold exciting prospects for India.

June: The male stars

Jun 27 2017: The Times of India

 KIDAMBI SRIKANTH (24, ranking 11)

The form man of world badminton right now, Srikanth has risen fast to become the poster boy of men's badminton in India. He is expected to be ranked around 5 in the world when the fresh list is announced on Thursday.

PARUPALLI KASHYAP (30, ranking 116)

He has been the guiding light to all the men's singles shuttlers. His victories at the international level, particularly the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold, gave confidence to others like Srikanth, Prannoy and Sai Praneeth. He was also the first Indian man to reach the Olympic quarterfinals. Kashyap has been fighting injuries in the last two years but is now back on court.

HS PRANNOY (24, ranking 21)

HS Prannoy, who trains at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, has always been regarded as a very talented shuttler. His big break was the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold title last year.He also created a splash by stunning Olympic gold medallist Cheng Long and silver medallist Lee Chong Wei at the recently Indonesia Open.

AJAY JAYARAM (29, ranking 15)

Till recently, Ajay Jayaram was the top-ranked Indian men's singles shuttler. Unlucky to miss the London Olympics berth by a whisker, Jayaram won the Dutch Open Grand Prix Gold twice -2014 and 2015. He missed a Dutch hat-trick when he lost in the final last year. Jayaram, who trains under Tom John, also reached the finals of the Korea Open Super Series in 2015.

SAI PRANEETH (24, ranking 16)

His Singapore Open triumph made him only the second Indian after Srikanth to clinch a Super Series title. He made it two titles in a row by claiming the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold as well. The crafty player is expected to pose a major threat to the top shuttlers in the world.

SAMEER VERMA (22, ranking 32)

The younger of the Verma brothers, Sameer's best show so far was reaching the final of the Hong Kong Open Super Series in November 2016. The 22-year-old is a hard-working shuttler who defeated Sai Praneeth to win the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold title in January this year. His elder brother, Sourabh Verma, who is 24, is ranked 35th in the world and is yet another player to watch out for.

August: World Championship, Glasgow

Aug 28 2017: The Times of India

In a first, two Indians finished on the podium. Sindhu -who had earlier won bronze medals at the 2013 and 2014 World Championships -won the silver and Saina a bronze.

September: Five Indian men in top-20

Five Indian men shuttlers in top-20, Sep 29 2017:: The Times of India

Five Indians find themselves in the top-20 of the BWF men's singles rankings with H S Prannoy being the biggest gainer after his quarterfinal showing at the Japan Open. Prannoy has jumped four places to be world no 15 while Kidambi Srikanth, who too lost in the quarterfinals in Japan, remains the highest-ranked Indian male player at eighth. Ajay Jayaram remains at the 20th spot while B Sai Praneeth too has not moved from his position of 17th. Sameer Verma has gained a couple of places to the 19th.

November: Sindhu, Srikanth both world’s No. 2

Manne Ratnakar, Double joy: Sindhu and Srikanth ranked No. 2, November 7, 2017: The Times of India

The rise and rise of the Indian shuttlers has been awe inspiring.

Four Super Series title triumphs catapulted Kidambi Srikanth to world No.2. It's a new high for Indian badminton as two shuttlers are currently ranked No.2 in the world, a feat accomplished for the first time.While PV Sindhu reached there a few weeks back, Srikanth joined her.

Until 2016, the script involved the success stories of Saina Nehwal and Sindhu. Saina's title-winning spree made it look difficult for others to emulate her till Sindhu started winning medals on a bigger stage. Inspired by the girls, the boys took charge in 2017 and collected more than half a dozen titles.

Srikanth may even become No.1 very soon.

The efforts of coach Pullela Gopichand are responsible for the badminton revolution in the country . But the Dronacharya insisted that the success story is a culmination of a lot of things. “It is a culmination of a lot of things. Each and everybody's contribution is very important. Be it the Sports Authority of India (SAI), government, sponsors, coaches and also senior players like Saina and Kashyap,“ Gopichand said.

Saina and Kashyap made others believe that success at highest level could be achieved.

November: Prannoy, Saina win national titles

Suhas Nayse, Sizzling Saina surprises Sindhu, November 9, 2017: The Times of India

Achievements, Men's singles, Women's singles, Men's doubles, Women's doubles, Mixed doubles, 2017
From: Suhas Nayse, Sizzling Saina surprises Sindhu, November 9, 2017: The Times of India

Women's singles final and Men's singles final, some facts, 2017
From: November 9, 2017: The Times of India

See also:

Achievements, Men's singles, Women's singles, Men's doubles, Women's doubles, Mixed doubles, 2017

Women's singles final and Men's singles final, some facts, 2017

Back With Coach Gopi, Nehwal Claims Third National Title; Prannoy Shocks Srikanth For Maiden Crown

Form and rankings went for a toss as Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy stunned hot favourites PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth to emerge champions in the 82nd Senior National Badminton Championship.

The packed stadium with around ten thousand spectators at the Divisional Sports Complex witnessed some spectacular badminton from the country's premier shuttlers which kept them on the edge of their seats till the last point of the week-long tournament.

The dream summit clash between Saina and Sindhu lived up to expectations with both the players slugging it out for each point resulting in long and pulsating rallies.

Saina, seeded second, proved a point or two to her detractors by upsetting top seed Sindhu 21-17, 27-25 in 54 minutes to clinch her third title. The 27-year-old thus maintained her perfect record in the Nationals with three titles in as many appearances.

Incidentally , she marked her comeback to the Nationals after a gap of almost ten years with the crown. As a teenager, she had triumphed at Goa in 2008 where she had defended the title she had won for the first time at Patna in 2007.

Saina was fully fired up while taking on Sindhu as she made swift movements to jump to a comfortable lead in the first game. Besides excellent court coverage, the world No. 11 executed several bodyline smashes which Sindhu found too hot to handle. Sindhu reduced the deficit in the end but could not stop Saina pocketing the first game at 21-17.

Stunned by the reversal, Sindhu bounced back gallantly in the second game. Although the scores were al most equal at the start, Sindhu surged ahead by three points and looked set to restore the parity.

However, Saina was in no mood to let it go. She fought back like a true fighter and saved a couple of game points to stop Sindhu. Sindhu too was equally determined to take the match into the decider. After six deuces, Saina finally managed to convert her sixth match point.

At 26-25, both the players were engaged in another long rally , keeping the entire crowd breathless. After around twenty strokes, Sindhu fai led to return one of Saina's sharp half-shashes and hit the shuttle in the net as Saina punched the air in jubilation.

Saina thanked her support staff and coach Pullela Gopichand for the turnaround in her fortunes. “I am surprised with the way I played today .I moved well and picked Sindhu's difficult shots. It was a great match and I am glad that I could finish it off in two games. I would like to thank all the support staff and Gopi Sir for working hard on me in the last couple of months,“ an elated Saina told TOI af ter the final.

Earlier, the men's singles final bet ween Srikanth and Prannoy also saw a big upset. Second seeded Prannoy edged out top seed and world No. 2 Sri e kanth 21-15, 16-21, 21-7 in a battle which lasted 50 minutes. It was a special mo . ment for Prannoy as he had never won any National title in any age group.I Prannoy celebrated his first entry o into the final in style by overcoming e the stiff challenge from his regular practice partner. The Kerala youngs ter also avenged his defeat to Srikanth in the semifinal of the French Open Super Series a few days back.

Ashwini Ponnappa bagged a double crown by claiming women's doubles and mixed doubles titles. Top seeds Ashwini and N Sikki Reddy stopped the giant-killing run of unseeded Maharashtra pair of Sanyogita Ghorpade and Prajakta Sawant in the women's doubles final.

In the mixed doubles final, Ashwini teamed up with teenager Satiwik Sai Raj to annex the mixed doubles final. The new combination shocked top seeds Pranaav Jerry Chopra-N Sikki Reddy 21-9, 20-22, 21-17.

November: China Open: loses singles quarterfinal

Suhas Nayse, Defending champ Sindhu stunned, November 18, 2017: The Times of India

Defending champion PV Sindhu found Chinese teenager Fangjie Gao too hot to handle and bowed out of the China Open Super Series Premier badminton in Fuzhou on Friday.

Nineteen-year-old Gao shattered the hopes of Sindhu with a clinical 21-11, 21-10 win in a one-sided women’s singles quarterfinal. Throughout the 38-minute encounter, Sindhu never looked in control and was completely surprised by the qualifier ranked 89th in the world.

Aiming to defend the title, Sindhu’s bid was foiled by an inspired local girl, regarded as one of the most promising shuttlers in China after the era of three Wangs and Olympic champion Li Xuerui.

November: Lost in Hong kong Super Series

November 26, 2017: The Times of India

PV Sindhu's gallant fight ended in agony as she suffered a second successive loss to world no. 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei at the summit clash of the $400,000 Hong Kong Super Series.

Playing her fifth straight tournament, Sindhu, who had a 3-7 head-to-head record against Tai before the match, never lacked in fitness and fought throughout the match before going down 18-21 18-21 to the defending champion in a 44-minute women's singles final.

This is Sindhu's second loss in the four finals that she reached this season. She had lost to Japan's Nozomi Okuhara at the World Championship final, while clinched two titles at India and Korea this year. In the opening game which lasted 21 minutes, Tai moved to a 3-0 lead early on before Sindhu made a good judgement at the baseline to log the first points. However, Tai unleashed her wide repertoire of strokes and varied the pace well to lead 7 -2.

Sindhu then started to dominate the rallies by using her deep clears and drew the Taiwanese close to the net. She used her reach to catch the shuttle early and placed it in difficult positions to narrow the deficit to 6-7.

A deceptive net return gave Tai a point. The Taiwanese then produced a smash on the deep backhand corner of Sindhu and moved to 10-7. Sindhu unleashed a body smash to perfection before Tai's flat straight return bamboozled the Indian.

At the break, the Taiwan had a three point advantage.

After the breather ,Tai committed a couple of unforced errors at both the flanks, while Sindhu came up with a backhand return near the net to reduce the margin to 10-13 but Tai quickly recovered to extend her domination to 16-13.

Sindhu tried to anticipate her deceptive rival and put Tai in awkward positions a few times, but she hit long or at the net to allow the Taiwanese lead 18-14. A gritty Sindhu, however, kept breathing down her neck and soon clawed back at 18-18.

During the next rally, the string of the Sindhu's racquet broke and Tai unleashed a smash which left the Indian frustrated. Tai produced another smash on Sindhu backhand to move to game point. She then grabbed the opening game after winning a video referral when her shuttle landed on the line.

In the second game, Sindhu was left to deal with some indecision due to the sidewise drift which gave early advantage to Tai but the gritty Indian levelled the score at 4-4 with a superb return at her rival's forehand.

The duo moved to 7-7 before Tai hit wide and lost a referral too.

Sindhu produced a overhead backhand flick, a deceptive return at the forecourt and another smash to move to 10-7 before entering the lemon break with a two-point advantage when Tai found the net. However, Tai dominated the proceedings after the interval, despite a fighting Sindhu trying to snap at her heels.

The Indian lost a referral and then failed to retrieve a shot at the forecourt as Tai led 12-11.

At 13-12, Sindhu was not allowed a video referral by the line judge and after that the match slipped away from the Indian even as Tai produced a stroke on Sindhu's forehand to perfection. With the Indian failing to finish the rallies, it allowed Tai to lead 17-12.

Another weak return by Sindhu and Tai was leading 18-12. The Indian produced a cross court smash to break the rhythm, but she again hit long. Tai faltered at the net and then miscued a lift from the front court. She then hit long as Sindhu conjured up hopes of a turn around, moving to 16-19.

However, a long rally ensued which ended with Sindhu's lift going long and Tai earned the match point at 20-16. Sindhu saved two match points before a perfect drop shot from Tai sealed the title for the Chinese Taipei shuttler.

2017, Dec. rankings

Srikanth fourth in rankings, December 8, 2017: The Times of India

Kidambi Srikanth improved a rung to be at the 4th position, while promising Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen entered the World top 100 after jumping 19 places to reach the 89th spot in the latest BWF ranking.HS Prannoy and B Sai Praneeth were static at the 10th place and 17th spots respectively. In women’s singles, PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal retained their third and 10th places respectively.

2018

 BWF World Tour

Saina loses to Tzu Ying in QF

October 27, 2018: The Times of India

Olympic medallist Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal’s impressive run at the French Open ended with yet another loss to World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying, this time at the quarterfinals of the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament here on Friday.

Saina looked in good touch initially but couldn’t match the pace of Tzu Ying later on to squander four game points and lose the opening game. She was no match to her rival in the second and eventually went down 20-22, 11-21 in the quarterfinals here.

It was Saina’s 12th straight defeat to the Chinese Taipei shuttler, who showed incredible temperament and determination to seal the contest after being 9-16 and 16-20 down in the opening game. Tzu Ying now has an overwhelming 14-5 head-to-head record against Saina.

Earlier, PV Sindhu advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight-game win over Japan’s Sayaka Sato but B Sai Praneeth crashed out in men’s singles on Thursday night. Sindhu, seeded third, dished out a compact game to outwit Sayaka 21-17, 21-16 in a second round match on Thursday to set up a clash with seventh seeded Chinese He Bingjiao.

However, Praneeth was no match for Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, going down 16-21, 14-21 in a men’s singles match.

The men’s doubles pairs of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy too put up a good show, progressing to the quarterfinals with straight game wins.

China Open World Tour

Srikanth advances; Prannoy bows out

Suhas Nayse, Satwiksairaj-Ashwini Pair Moves Up, September 21, 2018: The Times of India

A day after Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy knocked out world No. 13 Chinese Taipei pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa stunned world No. 12 pair of Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith of England in the China Open World Tour Super 1000 tournament in Changzhou.

Reigning national mixed doubles champions Satwiksairaj and Ashwini overcame a mid-match slump to edge out Commonwealth Games silver medallists Ellis and Smith 21-13, 20-22, 21-17.

Kidambi Srikanth overcame a late fightback from Rasmus Gemke to post a 21-9, 21-19 win in the men’s singles first round. In a first match between the two players, seventh seed Srikanth ousted Denmark’s Gemke, ranked 23 in the world, with brilliant display.

The 2014 champion will now lock horns with Suppanyu Avihingsanon of Thailand for a spot in the quarters. The Thai player is world No. 28 and Srikanth has a perfect 2-0 record against him. But they havent’s faced each other since 2013 Malaysia GP Gold.

Srikanth’s practice partner HS Prannoy failed to clear the first round hurdle. The national champion lost to eighth seed Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong 16-21, 12-21.

In a big upset, Gao Fangjie of China upset world No. 1 and top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 21-17, 21-16 in 37 minutes.

INDIAN RESULTS (Round 1) Men’s singles: 7-Kidambi Srikanth bt Rasmus Gemke (Denmark) 21-9, 21-19; HS Prannoy lost to 8-Ng Ka Long Angus (Hong Kong) 16-21, 12-21; Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty lost to Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia) 19-21, 20-22; Women’s doubles: Ashwini Ponnappa-N Sikki Reddy lost to Kim So Yeong-Kong Hee Yong (Korea) 10-21, 18-21; Mixed doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Ashwini Ponnappa bt Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith (England) 21-13, 20-22, 21-17.

Sindhu, Srikanth reach quarters

Suhas Nayse, September 21, 2018: The Times of India

PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth survived scares against their respective opponents — both from Thailand — to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open in Changzhou on Thursday.

Third seed Sindhu rallied against Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-23, 21-13, 21-18 in a marathon match which lasted for an hour and nine minutes. Sindhu went in as the favourite, with a 8-0 head-tohead record against the 22-year-old. However, Busanan came up with a much-improved display to test the Indian.

In the men’s singles second round, Srikanth came from a match-point down to pip Suppanyu Avihingsanon 21-12, 15-21, 24-22 in 63 minutes.

After promising a lot in the last couple of days, India’s doubles campaign came to an end in the pre-quarters.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa lost 14-21, 11-21against top seeds Siwei Zheng and Huang Yaqiong of China. Pranav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy also could not get the better of sixth seeds Christinna Pedersen and Mathias Christiansen of Denmark and lost in straight games. In the men’s doubles, Mannu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy were overwhelmed by Chen Hung Ling and Wang Chi-Lin 9-21, 10-21.

Sindhu, Srikanth lose in quarters

Suhas Nayse, September 22, 2018: The Times of India

Indian challenge in China Open Badminton tournament came to an end with the defeats of PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth at Changzhou on Friday. Third seed Sindhu went down fighting against Chen Yufei of China 11-21, 21-11, 15-21 in 52 minutes. The fifth seed Chinese shattered the hopes of the Indian with a commanding performance.

The 2016 champion Sindhu had a psychological advantage going into the match against the local girl as she was leading 4-2 in terms of head-to-head record. Sindhu had also won the last two encounters against the Chinese but on Friday she failed to extend her dominance and crashed out.

In the deciding third game, Yufei established an early lead and maintained it till the end. The only survivor in the men’s singles Srikanth also bowed out. The seventh seed found third seed Kento Momota too hot to handle and lost 9-21, 11-21 in 28 minutes.

The in-form Japanese made the light work of former world No. 1 and stormed into the semifinals in style. The last week champion at the Japan Open look set to pocket yet another title in the dream season. With this crushing win, Momota now improved his career record against Srikanth to 8-3. It was second quarterfinal defeat for Srikanth in as many weeks.

Indian coach Amrish Shinde was disappointed with the result but admitted that Sindhu fought gallantly.

Sindhu, Srikanth ousted in QF

November 10, 2018: The Times of India

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth were ousted from the China Open World Tour Super 750 on Friday after losing their singles quarterfinals matches here. While Sindhu yet again struggled to go past China's He Bingjiao in women's singles, Srikanth fell in straight-games to world number 3 Chou Tien Chen in the men's singles event. Third seeded Sindhu lost 17-21 21-17 15-21 to the eighth-seeded Chinese. It was Indian shuttler’s third loss to Bingjiao, who had defeated her at the Indonesia Open and French Open in July and October this year.

Later Srikanth paid the price for being too erratic as he lost 14-21, 14-21 in 35 minutes to Chen, who has been in good form this season with three titles from five final appearances.

Earlier, the left-handed Bingjiao controlled the rallies by executing her strokes perfectly and used her deft touch to outwit Sindhu. The Indian frittered away a 8-3 advantage early on to lose the opening game but made a roaring comeback in the second before losing the decider after a late charge.

Sindhu had started well to take a 4-1 lead early on before moving to 8-3 but Bingjiao managed to claw back at 9-9. Sindhu made it to 17-18 before Bingjiao pocketed the opening game. In the second game, Sindhu turned the tables as she moved to 6-5 and then grabbed a 11-7 lead. In the decider, Bingjiao was more sure-footed than Sindhu as she executed her plan well to take a 11-6 advantage at the interval. The Chinese managed to eke out a 15-8 lead before Sindhu produced a late charge to claw back to 15-16. But Bingjiao didn’t give any chance to the Indian after that as she reeled off the remaining points to cement her place in the semifinals.

Commonwealth Games

Biju BabuCyriac, Displaying Her Trademark Grit, A Resurgent Nehwal Downs Sindhu For A Famous Triumph, April 16, 2018: The Times of India

Saina Nehwal beats PV Sindhu 21-18, 23-21, at the Commonwealth Games, 2018
From: Biju BabuCyriac, Displaying Her Trademark Grit, A Resurgent Nehwal Downs Sindhu For A Famous Triumph, April 16, 2018: The Times of India

One is the pathbreaker in the sport in India. The other, the opponent, is the new sensation. And when the two clashed in the final of women’s badminton at the Commonwealth Games here, spectators the world over got nearly an hour of exhilarating edge-ofthe-seat action. Former World No. 1 Saina Nehwal gave a master-class of attacking badminton to win India’s 26th gold, beating teammate and Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu on the final day at the Games here on Sunday.

It was one of India’s bestever showing in a Games abroad — 26 gold, 20 silver and 20 bronze, across nine disciplines. And fittingly, India’s final gold came from the pioneering shuttler Saina, who beat Sindhu in 21-18, 23-21 in the final. The 56-minute blockbuster got the fans on the edge of their seats at the Carrara Sports Arena as the two of the world’s best players traded rallies — the best being a 64-stroke heart-stopper in the second game — and fought tooth and nail for each point.

It was a clash of contrasting styles. Saina, who opened the proceedings, took a 6-4 lead in the first game forcing the point with a superb crosscourt drop after dictating terms in a long rally. Soon she was stretching her lead to 12-6 but an agitated Sindhu pulled the next three points back to narrow the gap to 9-12.

Saina, appearing more agile now after having shed some weight during her preparations for Gold Coast, then forced an error from Sindhu at the net but the lanky Hyderabadi returned the compliment to stay in the hunt at 11-16. Even as Sindhu tried to wriggle out of the corner, Saina moved ahead to 20-14 and set up six game points. Sindhu now found a different gear to race up with her experienced teammate saving four game points, but Saina was only waiting for her chance and pulled the trigger smashing the winner to an open court to take the first game at 21-18.

The start of the second game saw Saina drifting a bit and Sindhu did the needful to stretch her lead to 9-6 following a 39-stroke rally which Saina netted. A mix of Sindhu’s class and Saina’s errors helped her pull away to 15-10, but the latter was in no mood to let the momentum shift. She came up with series of powerful smashes that Sindhu couldn’t return.

At 14-15, Saina appeared to have the match under control, but Sindhu, who recovered from a minor injury, was in no mood to go down without a fight as she ran up to an 18-14 lead and then took it to 19-16. But Saina was not to let her attacking ways go and won a draining 64-shot rally, it lasted all of 68 seconds, before going level at 19-19.

Sindhu then served on game point but it was soon 20-20. Next it was Sindhu’s turn to save a match point but it was all over soon with Saina smashing away to victory getting past of the best of retrievals from Sindhu. It was an epic clash and in the end, her experience and a seemingly newfound ability from Saina came to fore announcing that a change of guard at the top will still take some time.

Srikanth ends second best

World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth was forced to settle for silver after losing a riveting match in the men’s singles final to Malaysian Lee Chong Wei 21-19, 14-21, 14-21.

Chong Wei raced to a 5-0 lead in the opener but Srikanth, who beat the Malaysian in the team event here, caught up with the 36-year-old three-time Olympic silver medalist at 7-7. The next seven points saw an array of superb strokes from both the players. The two were again level at 15-15, 17-17 and 19-19 but Srikanth kept his nose in front finding vacant spots on the court. In the end, it was Srikanth who took the game at 21-19.

The second game, which saw a 42-stroke rally, began in the same fashion with both the players going for the deceptive angles and net flicks in addition to the power hitting. It was all even till the break at 11 but Chong Wei soon opened up a lead. The Malaysian opened up a big lead again in the third as Srikanth got buried under his errors. Chong Wei was up 7-1 in no time and from then on Srikanth had a hard time catching up.

Denmark Open BWF Tour Super 750

Saina beats Tunjung, enters final; Srikanth loses to Momota

Manne Ratnakar, October 21, 2018: The Times of India

Saina Nehwal was one step away from winning her first major title in two years at the Denmark Open in Odense. However, Kidambi Srikanth was dethroned in the semifinal by world champion Kento Momota of Japan 16-21, 12-21. Momota was at his retrieving best in the semifinal. Saina steamrolled reigning junior world champion Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia 21-11, 21-12 in just 30 minutes to book a final berth against Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

Saina told Badminton Europe that she is happy to be in a final after a long gap. "I feel great to be playing finals. After the surgery I have not been getting my rhythm. But after the Asian Games, I started playing well and moving well. Even at the Korea Open I lost a very close match against Okuhara. She went on to win that tournament. I had to be patient and here I am playing the finals. Belief makes a lot of difference," Saina said, adding that semifinal is not as easy as the scoreline suggests.

"It's not easy to play someone who plays so many tricky shots. It was tough but I was able to pick those shots. I moved well and my shots were much more sharper."

Incidentally, this was Saina's first Super Series final in two years after she won the Australian Open. The 28-yearold, who was in full flow against Japanese shuttlers Akane Yamaguchi in second round and Nozomi Okuhara in the quarters, was at her best against Mariska on Saturday.

The world No.19 Indonesian, who has never beaten a top ranked player so far, proved no match for the Indian. Saina toyed with Mariska.

Women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy went down to top seeds Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota of Japan 14-21, 12-21.

Saina beats Yamaguchi for first time in 4 years

Manne Ratnakar, Saina ends the jinx, October 19, 2018: The Times of India

Beats Yamaguchi For First Time In 4 Years To Enter QF

Saina Nehwal was at her fluent best as she outclassed world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-15, 21-17 to move into the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament in Odense on Thursday.

This was Saina’s first victory over the Japanese in four years. The last time Saina triumphed against Yamaguchi was in the China Open back in 2014.

Sameer Verma also continued his good run and joined Saina in the quarterfinals along with the women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy. Extending his giant-killing run, Verma, who ousted world No.2 in the first round, accounted for Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie in the second. Verma registered a hard fought 23-21, 6-21, 22-20 victory against the Indonesian in the one hour-10 minute encounter. Verma will now square up against the winner of the match between Kidambi Srikanth and Lin Dan of China.

Unseeded pair of Ashwini and Sikki knocked out seventh seeded south Koreans Lee So Hee and Shing Seung Chan in three games 18-21, 22-20, 21-18.

Earlier, Saina eased past Yamaguchi in just 36 minutes. This is Saina’s first victory against Yamaguchi since November 2014. The Indian ace lost to the Japanese shuttler six consecutive times before the Denmark meeting. A relieved Saina, who was struggling in major BWF events, told Badminton Europe that she was happy to break the jinx against Yamaguchi.

Saina loses to Tai in the final

Manne Ratnakar, Saina fails to solve Tai puzzle yet again, October 22, 2018: The Times of India

Saina Nehwal did her best, came back strongly but couldn’t find a way to get past Tai Tzu Ying in the final of the Denmark Open BWF Tour Super 750 tournament in Odense on Sunday.

Once again, the world No.1 from Chinese Taipei arguably proved the most difficult opponent of Saina’s career. Though Saina won a game, raising hopes of a fine come-from-behind victory, Tai still reigned supreme at 21-13, 13-21, 21-6.

Tai became the first shuttler from Taipei to clinch the Denmark Open title. Though she has won almost all the Super Series titles, Denmark always proved a roadblock for her. On Sunday, despite a little bother provided by Saina, that record was set right.

In her element right from the first point, Tai repeatedly changed her tactics to quell a determined Saina, who fought ferociously for most part of the final.

Her crafty net game, loaded with a lot of disguise and accurate on-the-line smashes earned her easy points as it came coupled with her effortless retrieving ability. Tai was already leading 11-5 at the break.

Saina upped the ante and played some brilliant smashes but Tai did well to protect the big lead she had gained.

In the second game, Saina pushed the shuttle back and hardly allowed Tai to come near the net. The ploy worked as Tai's returns looked weak giving the Indian an upperhand. Saina took an 8-3 lead and maintained that control throughout the game. Despite losing the second game, Tai realised where she was going wrong. Towards the end, she had begun returning sharply packing the bird with a lot of pace. This is her 11th straight loss against Tai since 2013. But the silver lining for the Indian was that she had managed to extend the tie to three games for the first time in three years. The last time Saina won a game against Tai was in December 2015.

Momota triumphs

Japan’s Kento Momota won the men’s singles title with a 22-20, 16-21, 21-15 victory against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in the final.

Sameer stuns Shi in major upset

Manne Ratnakar, Sameer stuns Shi in major upset; Marin crashes out, October 18, 2018: The Times of India

Sameer Verma caused one of the major upsets of the tournament when he knocked out world No.2 Shi Yuqi of China 21-17, 21-18 in the first round of the Denmark Open BWF Tour Super 750 in Odense, late on Tuesday.

The world No.23 Indian took just 44 minutes to oust Yuqi. Verma will now take on world No.13 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, who defeated Wong Wing Ki Vincent of Hong Kong 17-21, 21-18, 21-13. Verma enjoys a 1-0 win-loss record against Christie.

Seventh seed Kidambi Srikanth eased into the second round with a 21-16, 21-10 victory against Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus of Denmark. Srikanth will face multiple world and Olympic champion Lin Dan of China in the second round. Though Lin Dan has a 3-1 career record against Srikanth, the former world No.1 has been struggling in the last few months.

The other Indian in men’s singles, Sai Praneeth will take the court late on Wednesday. Women’s singles also witnessed another major upset as reigning world and Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain suffered a 19-21, 21-14, 19-21 shock defeat to local girl and world No. 20 Mia Blichfeldt. Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy was the only Indian doubles team to clear the first round.

Srikanth beats Lin Dan

October 20, 2018: The Times of India

Kidambi Srikanth defeated the legendary Lin Dan for the second time in his career to set up an all-Indian quarterfinal against Sameer Verma at the Denmark Open here. World number six Srikanth bounced back to beat the world number 14 from China 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in the second round clash played.

Dan, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion, is not the player he used to be but is still a force to reckon with. It was a fifth meeting between Srikanth and Dan and the Chinese great won the last time they played, in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Srikanth had famously scored his maiden win over Dan to win the 2014 China Open.

After a tough match against the Chinese, Srikanth will have to play fellow Indian Verma in the quarterfinals to be held later on Friday. World number 23 Verma had beaten 2018 Asian Games gold medallist, Jonathan Christie of Indonesia, in his second round match.

French Open BWF

Sindhu, Srikanth exit

Sindhu, Srikanth exit French Open, October 28, 2018: The Times of India

PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth crashed out in the quarterfinals of the French Open after suffering straight-game defeats in their respective matches as India’s campaign ended in the singles events at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament. Third seed Sindhu looked a pale shadow of herself as she lost 13-21, 16-21 in 40 minutes against seventh seed He Bingjiao of China.

It was Sindhu’s second consecutive loss at the hands of the Chinese shuttler this year after her straight-game defeat in Indonesia Open in July. By virtue of this win, Bingjiao extended her head-to-head record to 7-5 against the Indian.

To make matters worse for India, fifth seed Srikanth gave a good account of himself but eventually lost steam against top seed Kento Momota of Japan. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sen suffered a straight-game loss to world no 1 pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the semifinals.

Ayhika wins silver, Anthony-Sanil clinches bronze in Belgium Open TT

New Delhi: Ayhika Mukherjee settled for a silver medal after going down 1-3 to Korea’s Youjin Kim in the final of the ITTF Challenge Belgium Open in the under-21 women’s singles category. Anthony Amalraj and Sanil Shetty too fought their way into the medals’ bracket, bagging a bronze in the men’s doubles. Ayhika put up a brave fight in the summit clash but Kim proved to be a tough nut to crack in the end. In the semifinals, Ayhika had defeated Hong Kong’s Chengzhu Zhu 3-1 to enter the finals.

In men’s doubles, Amalraj-Shetty started slowly, losing a tight opening game 10-12 to the Belgian pair of Olav Kosolosky and Laurens Devos. They had a tough second game too which they eventually managed to win 15-13. There was no stopping them thereafter.

Sethuraman holds Anand

Isle of Man: Grandmaster S P Sethuraman played out an easy draw as white against five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand in the seventh round of Isle of Man International Chess tournament here on Saturday. Both Anand and Sethuraman inched themselves up to five points out of a possible seven and shared the joint eighth spot. Michael Adams of England took advantage of this draw-melee to join the six overnight leaders on 5.5 points defeating erstwhile joint leader Abhijeet Gupta.

Greco Roman wrestlers out of Worlds

Budapest: India’s campaign at the World Championship ended with Greco Roman wrestlers on the final day of the competitions, here on Saturday. Of three grapplers in action, only Hardeep managed to win a bout when he downed Morocco’s Choucri Atafi 8-4 in the 1/16 in the 97kg category. Later he lost his 1/8 bout 1-4 to Laokratis Kesidis from Greece.

Srikanth, Saina in QF

Srikanth & Saina in French QF, October 26, 2018: The Times of India

Defending champion Kidambi Srikanth and India ace Saina Nehwal made their way to the quarterfinals of the USD 750,000 French Open BWF World Tour Super 750 here Thursday. Srikanth showed great determination to outwit Korea’s world no 25 Lee Dong Keun 12-21, 21-16, 21-18 in a secondround clash that clocked an hour and 13 minutes. The Indian had lost twice to the 27-year-old Korean in the past two meetings.

Saina, who had reached the finals at Denmark Open last week, continued her good run by outwitting former World champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 10-21, 21-14, 21-17 in another exciting contest.

Hong Kong Open

Srikanth, Sameer enter quarter-finals

November 16, 2018: The Times of India

Former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma sailed into the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open while PV Sindhu was shown the door in Kowloon.

In a see-saw battle which went down to the wire, Srikanth defeated compatriot HS Prannoy 18-21, 30-29, 21-18 while Sameer got a walkover against Chen Long of China. After winning a exhausting second game in which the lead changed hands a number of times, Srikanth secured a seven-point lead (11-4) in the third game. But Prannoy clawed back and caught up with Srikanth at 16-16. Thereafter, Srikanth won the big points to clinch the contest.

In the quarters, Srikanth will square up against the winner of the tie between Kenta Nishimoto of Japan and Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand. Sameer will face qualifier Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong. Sindhu lost to former world No.2 Ji Hyun Sung of Korea 24-26, 20-22 in a close match.

Lakshya in pre-quarters

Lakshya Sen and two Indian doubles pairs made it to the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championship in Markham, Canada, on Wednesday.

Fourth seed Lakshya made short work of Giovanni Toti of Italy 21-7, 21-13. He will face ninth seed Chen Shiau Cheng of Chinese Taipei on Thursday.

Men’s doubles duo of Srikrishna Sai Kumar Podile and Vishnu Vardhan Goud defeated Joel Hansson and Melker Z-Bexell of Sweden to move into the pre-quarterfinals.

In women’s doubles pair of Aditi Bhatt and Tanisha Crasto downed Dilmi Das and Anurangi Masakorala of Sri Lanka in straight games 22-20, 21-10.

Kidami Srikanth, Sameer Verma lose

Indian challenge ends in HK, November 17, 2018: The Times of India

India’s challenge ended with Kidami Srikanth and Sameer Verma being knocked out of the Hong Kong Open BWF Super 500 event in Kowloon.

Fourth seed Srikanth went down to eighth seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan 17-21, 13-21. This was Srikanth’s first loss against Nishimoto in four meetings. Later, Sameer Verma faltered against qualifier Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong 15-21, 21-19, 11-21. The only consolation for the shuttlers this year was Sindhu reaching the finals of three major events.

However, Sindhu qualified for the yearend event in China. But with only two more qualifying tournaments left — Syed Modi International and Scottish Open — Srikanth and Sameer are unlikely to make the cut. Only eight players qualify in each category and Srikanth is placed 14th spot and Sameer 12th. Sindhu is fifth in the qualifiers list.

Lakshya, doubles pair in quarters

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles pair of Srikrishna Sai Kumar Podile and Vishnu Vardhan Goud entered the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championship in Canada.

Lakshya beat Chen Shiau Cheng of Chinese Taipei 15-21, 21-17, 21-14. Lakshya will face Malaysia’s Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin next. Srikrishna and Vishnu eased past Dwiki Rafian Restu and Bernadus Bagas Kusuma of Indonesia 21-11, 21-17. They will face tenth-seeded Koreans Tae Yang Shin and Chan Wang.

India Open: PV Sindhu, sixth loss in a final since Olympics

Saumyajit Basu, Sindhu slips in the final, February 5, 2018: The Times of India

Zhang Is The New Champion; Shi Yuqi Claims Men’s Crown

In the end, a Chinese and an American of Chinese descent swept the honours on the final day.

After Shi Yuqi won the men’s singles title to become the first Chinese to do so in the India Open, Beiwan Zhang taught PV Sindhu such a bitter lesson that she refused to attend the customary aftermatch press meet on Sunday evening. For Sindhu, it was her sixth loss in a final since her Olympic silver, to go with two title wins.

Sindhu kept hopes alive till the very end but Zhang looked destined to write a beautiful story of her own. Having already scalped Saina Nehwal on Friday, she upstaged Sindhu 21-18, 11-21, 22-20 to win her first Tour title to fulfil a longcherished dream.

“I wanted to win a tour title this year,” the world No. 11 had said after her quarterfinal victory over Saina. That she could tilt the tightly-fought final game on Sunday her way, is something she would savour for long. “It is the best moment of my career,” the 27-old Zhang said after matching the world No. 4 point for point.

“I used the smash more than usual to quell Sindhu, who seemed to be under a lot of pressure. She was playing in front of the home crowd. I had nothing to lose,” said a beaming Zhang, before rushing off to catch the earliest flight out.

While the fifth seeded Zhang pocketed $26,250 and 9200 ranking points for her effort, Sindhu had to be content with $13,300 and 7800 ranking points.

Unlike Zhang, Shi Yuqi used the smash with rare precision to undo Chou Tien’s challenge. What Lin Dan couldn’t achieve in his few attempts, Yuqi did it in his first. “I am not a big fan of Super Dan,” said the champion moments after he calmly decimated Chou Tien Chen 21-18, 21-14. Even trailing till 17 in the first game, the 21-year old Chinese never looked ill at ease. Armed with an intelligent all-court game programmed by anticipation, Yuqi even returned Chou Tien’s supposed winners, much to the frustration of the Chinese Taipei player. He clocked four points on the bounce to reach game point and logged home the first with a lot of confidence.

In the second, however, Yuki didn’t let Chou Tien nose ahead. Consummately in control and using the smash only when absolutely sure of it being a winner, Yuki showed that his second singles title, after the French Open in 2016, was just a dawn of a shining day ahead. “He is sure to make the China’s Thomas Cup team,” said an official accompanying the China team.

RESULTS (ALL FINALS) — Men's singles 4-Shi Yuqi bt 3-Chou Tien Chen 21-18, 21-14 ; Women's singles 5-Beiwen Zhang bt 1-PV Sindhu 21-18, 11-21, 22-20; Men's doubles: 1-Marcus Gideon/ Kevin Sanjaya bt 4-Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-14, 21-16; Women's doubles: 3-Greysia Polii/ Apriyani Rahayu bt 2-Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai 21-18, 21-15; Mixed doubles: 5-Mathias Christiansen/ Christinna Pedersen bt Praveen Jordan/ Melati Daeva Oktavianti 21-14, 21-15.

Indonesia Open BWF

Manne Ratnakar, Sindhu, Prannoy bow out as Indian challenge ends, July 7, 2018: The Times of India

PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament in Jakarta. With the exit of these two shuttlers, the Indian challenge ended in the $1.25 million tournament. Sindhu lost to China’s He Bingjiao 21-14, 21-15 and Shi Yuqi defeated Prannoy 21-17, 21-18.

Prannoy failed to win the big points towards the end of both games. At 18-18 in the second he committed unforced errors and surrendered the advantage to his Chinese rival. Sindhu failed to find her range even as Bingjiao controlled the game. The Indian kept pace with her rival till 10-10, thereafter it was Binjiao all the way. From 13-11, the Chinese girl raced ahead giving the Indian no chance to come back.

Not giving much lift to the bird, Binjiao restricted Sindhu from executing her trademark smashes or overhead drives. It was no different in the second game as Binjiao broke free from the 7th point to emerge victorious.

Japan Open BWF Tour Super 750

Manu-Sumeeth beat Olympics silver medallists

Manne Ratnakar, Stunning win for Manu-Sumeeth duo, September 13, 2018: The Times of India

Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy stunned Rio Olympics silver medallists Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong 15-21, 23-21, 21-19 to make it to the pre-quarterfinals of the Japan Open BWF Tour Super 750 tournament in Tokyo.

The Indians saved a match point to beat the Malaysian in 54 minutes. Staring down the barrel at 19-20 in the second game, Manu-Sumeeth won two crucial points to force the decider. In the keenly-contested third game, the Indians trailed 17-19 but did well to seal the issue.

It was this killer instinct that was missing from this pair. At the Asian Games in Jakarta, the duo could have won a medal. Leading 20-18 in the third game, they lost to Chinese pair of Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen in the pre-quarterfinals.

“We are playing well now. We kept our nerves and supported each other. This victory will give us a lot of confidence for future,” Attri said. The world No. 28 Indians will face world No.18 Chinese pair of Qiang Tan and He Jiting in the second round. This would be the first meeting between the two teams.

The junior men’s doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and the women's outfit of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy lost their first round matches. While Satwik/Chirag lost to third-seeded Japanese Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda 12-21, 17-21, Ashwini-Sikki went down to South Korea’s Chang Ye Na and Jung Kyung Eun 17-21, 13-21.

PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and the mixed doubles duo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy will play their second round matches. Sindhu faces Chin’s Gao Fangjie.

Sameer wins Swiss, Kashyap Austrian Open

February 26, 2018: The Times of India

Sameer Verma won the first biggest title for India in 2018 by emerging triumphant in the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament in Basel on Sunday.

Though they reached the finals, neither Saina Nehwal (Indonesia Masters) nor PV Sindhu (India Open) could clinch the titles this season. But Sameer faced no such final blues as he notched up a fluent victory against former Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 21-15, 21-13.

The Pullela Gopichand Academy trainee needed just 36 minutes to ease past the former world No.2. Jorgensen, who won the World Championships bronze in 2015, was out of sorts as Sameer looked in full low. Sameer started with a 3-0 lead in the first game and the closest Jorgensen came was at 10-12. Sameer then produced a five-point burst to took the issue beyond the Dane.

Sameer was even more dominant in the second game as he took off from 11-9 to 17-9 in one serve.

A few hours earlier about 720 kilomtres away from Basil, Sameer’s senior pro Parupalli Kashyap clinched the Austrian Open.

Ending a long title drought, Kashyap annexed the Austrian Open International Challenge title with a convincing victory against June Wei Cheam of Malaysia 23-21, 21-14. The 31-year-old, who was struggling to comeback after recurring injuries, was in complete control despite a tough first game.

Having enduring tough time ever since he won the Commonwealth Games men's singles gold at Glasgow in 2014, Kashyap is pleased with the victory.

“For any player it is important to win titles, I’ve to get into a habit of winning titles,” Kashyap told ToI from Vienna. The seasoned campaigner is always hailed as the shuttler who make rapid strides before the younger lot led by Kidambi Srikanth began dominating men's singles.

Kashyap always believes that he has several good years of badminton left in him. Even last year he reached the finals of US Open.

The shuttler now wants to focus on getting some ranking points which would help him improve his ranking. “With this win I will get some points which will help to improve my ranking. I am playing some tournaments in Europe next month. So I hope to continue this winning form there as well. I’ve to keep improving myself,” he said.

Sindhu, Prannoy bow out; Srikanth enters quarterfinals

September 14, 2018: The Times of India

Fatigue caught up with India’s premier shuttler PV Sindhu as she was upstaged in straight games but Kidambi Srikanth entered quarterfinals of the $700,000 Japan Open here Thursday. Sindhu was beaten by China’s Gao Fangjie in the women’s singles second round, her first preliminary exit in almost a year. The Indian went down fighting 18-2119-21in 55 minutes to the world no 14 Chinese. She had lost in the opening round at the Denmark Open in October 2017.

Former world no.1 Srikanth, however, didn’t break a sweat as he avenged his Asian Games loss to Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent with a clinical 21-15, 21-14 victory to enter the men’s singles quarterfinals. The seventhseeded Indian, who won a silver at the Commonwealth Games, will face Korea’s Lee Dong Keun next.

However, it was curtains for the other Indian in the men’s draw, HS Prannoy, as he went down to giant-killer Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. The world no.10 Indonesian defeated formidable Japanese Kento Momota and Olympic champion Chen Long at the Asian Games.

Sindhu, who has endured a hectic BWF season reaching five finals including three majors at CWG, World Championship and Asian Games, seemed mentally drained as errors crept into her game. The Indian put up a decent fight as she recovered from 2-8 down in the opening game but squandered a 17-14 lead.

Syed Modi International

Sameer Verma won the men's singles crown

Saina falters in final, Verma wears crown, November 26, 2018: The Times of India

India's Sameer Verma won the men's singles crown at the Syed Modi International World Tour Super 300 badminton tournament, rallying well to defeat China's Lu Guangzu 16-21, 21-19, 21-14.

Sameer's win, which came in 70 minutes, was lone bright spot for India as the others who made the final rounds lost. Former

champion Saina Nehwal failed to produce her best, losing in straight games to young Han Yue of China in a one-sided women's singles summit clash.

Commonwealth Games silver medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also went down in straight games against second seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia to settle for the runners-up prize in the men's doubles competition.

It was heartbreak for Saina, who lost to Han 18-21, 8-21 in a 34-minute final. Saina, who won a gold and a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, had ended second best at the Indonesia Masters in January and Denmark Open in October this year.

In the men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag squandered a 18-14 lead in the second game to lose 11-21, 20-22 to world No. 7 Alfian and Ardianto in a 38-minute match.

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy too had to settle for the silver medal in women's doubles, losing in straight games (15-21, 13-21) to Malaysia's Chow Mei Kuan and lee Meng Yean.

Verma wins Dutch BWFTour Super 100 title

Sourabh wins Dutch Open title, October 15, 2018: The Times of India

Sourabh Verma won the Dutch Open BWFTour Super 100 badminton tournament in Almere, Netherlands.

Verma defeated June Wei Cheam of Malaysia 21-19, 21-13 in the final. The unseeded Indian ousted top seed Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands in the semifinals on Saturday.

The 25-year-old shuttler, who trains at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, had won the Russia Open earlier this year. Dutch Open is Verma's third international title. In 2016 Verma won the Chinese Taipei Masters.

World Junior Badminton Championship

India loses mixed event

November 10, 2018: The Times of India

Jr World Cup: India bow out in mixed event

Markham (Canada): India went down fighting 1-3 to South Korea in the mixed team quarterfinals of the world junior badminton championships, despite Lakshya Sen's superb efforts here. Asian Junior champion, Lakshya lived up to expectations but the two losses in the doubles category virtually sealed India's fate and it was all over after the women singles defeat.

World Tour Finals, Gaungzhou

Sindhu beats champion Yamaguchi, Verma falters

Manne Ratnakar, Sindhu off to flying start in World Tour Finals, December 13, 2018: The Times of India

PV Sindhu was off to a good start but Sameer Verma faltered on the first day of the BWF World Tour Finals in Gaungzhou. In a hard-fought encounter, Sindhu defeated defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 24-22, 21-15 while Sameer went down to world No.1 Kento Momota of Japan 18-21, 6-21.

Sindhu fought back from big deficits in the first game to prevail over Yamaguchi. The Japanese shuttler was cruising ahead with a 11-6 and 18-12 advantage. But once Sindhu got her range she showed a lot of discipline, made some brilliant retrieves and caught up with Yamaguchi at 19-19.

Sindhu saved two game points (20-21, 21-22) before winning the game after Yamaguchi hit the bird into the net at 23-22.

In the second game, Yamaguchi was too defensive, allowing Sindhu to take control of the game. From 10-11, Sindhu secured eight consecutive points to move into a commanding lead of 18-11.

Sindhu finally beats No. 1, Tai Tzu

Manne Ratnakar, Sindhu shocks No. 1 Tai Tzu, December 14, 2018: The Times of India

PV Sindhu continued her red-hot form at the BWF World Tour Finals as she stunned world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying 14-21, 21-16, 21-18 to win her second Group ‘A’ league match in Guangzhou on Thursday. With this victory, the first against Tai after six losses, Sindhu improved her chances of qualifying for the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Sameer Verma kept his chances alive with a 21-16, 21-7 victory against Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia. Sameer lost his first Group ‘B’ match on Wednesday and a loss on Thursday would have ended his campaign. Sameer should beat Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand on Friday to qualify for the last four.

Sameer said he was tense playing his first BWF Finals. “I was very tense before the match because I lost yesterday.Court conditions are very slow, but we should learn fast how to manage these conditions. Tomorrow’s match against Kantaphon is very important, I need to stay focused,” Sameer said.

Kento Momota defeated Kantaphon in the other Group ‘B’ match.

Sindhu fought back brilliantly after losing the first game to Tai. She made too many mistakes in the first game but recovered quickly in the second game. In the third, Sindhu was trailing 6-11 before the mandatory change of courts. But Sindhu, who last defeated Tai at the Rio Olympics in 2016, did not lose hope. She cut down the deficit to 11-13 and came up with seven points to take a five-point lead.

Thereafter, Tai tried hard but Sindhu was ready. An elated Sindhu said: “It’s a big win for me after a long time. I gave my 100% in the second. When I was trailing 6-11 in the decider, I kept telling myself that it is not over till the end. She took one point but I won two to three points from each serve,” Sindu said.

Sindhu reaches SFs; Verma knockout stage

Feisty Sindhu reaches semis, December 15, 2018: The Times of India

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu continued her unbeaten run, while debutant Sameer Verma also qualified for the knockout stage with a straight-game win in his last Group B match at the BWF World Tour Finals. Playing her third successive year-ending finale, Sindhu dished out some deceptive strokes and showed precision during the 35-minute contest to prevail over

world no. 12 Beiwen Zhang 21-9 21-15 in a one-sided women's singles contest to top Group A.

“I was down 2-6 initially but I picked up the lead, so after that I was fine,” Sindhu said after the match.

“I have played a few matches against her after the Indian Open final, so I took it as a fresh match,” added the 23-year-old.

On the adjacent court, 24-year-old Sameer showed great athleticism and produced a masterful performance to demolish Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-9 21-18 in a match that clocked 44 minutes.

Sindhu defeats Okuhara, wins first BWF World Tour title

PV Sindhu defeats Nozomi Okuhara to clinch maiden BWF World Tour Finals title, December 16, 2018: The Times of India

A relieved P V Sindhu let out a joyous scream when she finally laid her hands on a gold medal by claiming the World Tour Finals with a win over 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara.

Wish PV Sindhu on her maiden World Tour Finals title victory

With the straight-game victory, coming after seven straight finals losses, Sindhu became the first Indian to achieve the feat.

Playing her third successive season-ending finale, Sindhu, who had lost in the summit clash to another Japanese, Akane Yamaguchi, to settle for a silver in the last edition, prevailed 21-19 21-17 in a match that lasted an hour and two minutes.

This was her career's 14th title but the year's first. Prior to this in 2018, she has won silver at the World Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Thailand Open and India Open.

Dubbed a bridesmaid after falling short of gold on a number of occasions, Sindhu finally broke her jinx, screamed and sunk to her knees.

Saina Nehwal had reached the finals of 2011 World Super Series Finals, while Jwala Gutta and V Diju finished runners up at the 2009 edition.

Sindhu, an Olympic and World Championship silver medallist, was composed and held her nerves at the crucial moments to stay a step ahead of the Japanese through the match.

In the first game, Okuhara made a couple of errors and Sindhu took early lead.

She used some drop shots and looked good at the net to lead 7-3 but Okuhara narrowed down the deficit to 5-7. Sindhu dominated the next long rally and nosed ahead 11-6 at the mid-game break.

After the breather, Sindhu extended her lead to 14-6 before Okuhara reeled off four successive points to narrow the deficit.

Okuhara seemed to control the proceedings next as she erased the deficit to claw back at 16-16. In fact, the Japanese grabbed 10 of the 12 points after being down 6-14 down, to draw parity.

But Okuhara also smashed wide twice to hand Sindhu a 19-17 advantage. The Indian grabbed three game point advantage but Okuhara managed to save two before Sindhu sealed the opening game with a superb drop shot.

Sindhu engaged in long rallies with Okuhara and managed to stay 6-4 ahead at one stage of the second game. The Japanese stretched and controlled the rallies and waited for the Indian to hit out. It worked as she forced her way back at 7-7.

Sindhu, however, managed to always stay ahead and led 11-9 at the interval after Okuhara lost a video referral.

Okuhara tried to push the shuttle back of the court from the baseline and unleashed a body smash to make it 12-13. She kept snapping at her rival's heels to make it 16-17.

A return to the net gave Sindhu a 18-16 lead. A long rally ensued and it ended with Okuhara leaving it shot and Sindhu unleashing a smash to move to 19-16.

A lucky net chord took the Indian one step away from the title. Sindhu grabbed three match points and converted them immediately to seal the issue in her favour.

World Juniors: Bronze for Lakshya

Markham (Canada): Lakshya Sen settled for a bronze medal in the World Junior Badminton Championship after suffering a narrow defeat to top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the singles semifinals here. The 17-yearold from Almora lost 22-20, 16-21, 13-21 to Vitidsarn in a match that went on for an hour and 11 minutes on Saturday.

2019

A summary of the year

Hindol Basu and Rohit Bharadwaj, Dec 29, 2019 The Times of India

SHUTTLING BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD

When PV Sindhu was firing on all cylinders in the final of the World Badminton Championship against Nozomi Okuhara at the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, in August, it seemed she was destined for more success. After all, she had mastered her nemesis in just 37 minutes to become the first Indian to rule the world. However, after that result, and a host of felicitations, the rest of the year was forgettable as Sindhu crashed out in the early rounds of most events. Her compatriot Saina Nehwal bagged the Indonesia Masters Super 300 crown in January before being bogged down by injuries and pancreatitis. Kidambi Srikanth too struggled to match the highs of the previous year. There were other success stories though. B Sai Praneeth clinched the nation’s first men’s singles medal after a wait of 36 years at the Worlds. Sourabh Verma was another player, who enjoyed a fair amount of success in 2019, winning four medals. Lakshya Sen, India’s future in men’s badminton, won two Super 100 medals.

B

Hindol Basu and Rohit Bharadwaj, Dec 29, 2019 The Times of India

DOUBLE DELIGHT

India had a lot going for it in the badminton doubles circuit as well. The pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty left many of their illustrious seniors behind by becoming the first Indian men’s pair to win a Super 500 title at the Thailand Open in July and then reaching the French Open Super 750 final. The duo of Rankireddy and Shetty also broke into the world Top 10 rankings during the year and both were deservedly named among the Most Improved Players of the Year by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Asia Junior: India lose to Indonesia, bow out

July 23, 2019: The Times of India

India lose to Indonesia, bow out of Asia Junior C’ships

New Delhi:

Maisnam Meiraba put up a brave effort before India bowed out of the Asia Junior Championships on Monday after suffering a 0-3 loss to Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the Mixed Team event in Suzhou, China.

In an absorbing battle between two top 20 junior players, World No. 14 Meiraba managed to take a game off his 17th ranked opponent, Bobby Setiabudi but the Indonesian proved too strong in the end with a 21-17, 15-21, 21-11 win in 59 minutes.

The Manipur boy, who won his first international tournament at the White Night Russian Junior International earlier this month, had been in fine form throughout the event and won his matches against Korea and Macau.

Meiraba’s performance, even though in a losing cause, stood out as none of the other results went in India's favour.

In girls’ singles, Malvika Bansod was unlucky to miss out on winning a tight first game and eventually went down fighting 20-22, 7-21 to junior World No. 4 Putri Kusuma Wardani.

Tanisha Crasto and Sathish Kumar Karunakaran suffered a 15-21, 18-21 defeat to Leo Rolly Carnando and Indah Cahya Sari Jamil in mixed doubles.

India had beaten Mongolia and Macau China by an identical score of 5-0 while they lost to Korea 1-4 in the round-robin. Finishing second to Korea in the group stage had confirmed their quarterfinal berth. PTI

Asian Championships: Indians reach only QFs

April 27, 2019: The Times of India

Indian shuttlers fail to get past QF stage

Indian shuttlers will return empty handed from the Badminton Asian Championships as all the three singles players — PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Sameer Verma — bit the dust in the quarterfinals.

Last year, Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy had won bronze medals, but the 54-year gold medal jinx at this championship continues for India. Dinesh Khanna was the last Indian to have won the men’s title way back in 1965. Sameer hardly give a fight to second seed Shi Yuqi of China and crashed to a 10-21, 12-21 loss. Saina, however, fought hard before going down to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 13-21, 23-21, 16-21. After losing the first game, Saina gained the upper hand after the 12th point and secured an 18-14 lead in the second and forced the decider.

In the third game, Saina started with a 6-1 lead, but the diminutive Japanese girl wiped off the margin and moved up to 17-14 with a six-point burst. Though Saina stopped the surge briefly, Yamaguchi won three successive points to put out the Indian.

Sindhu came a cropper against Cai Yanyan. The Chinese teen took just 31 minutes to silence the Indian 21-19, 21-9. Cai dictated terms in the first game and the 19-year-old Chinese was even more dominant in the second game as she broke free from 7-6.

According to chief coach Pullela Gopichand, the Indian shuttlers are not getting enough time to practice. Since 2019 is an Olympic year, securing ranking points is very important.

All England Badminton Championship

Day 1

Suhas Nayse, Sindhu ousted in first round, March 7, 2019: The Times of India

Sai Praneeth Gets Past Compatriot Prannoy To Enter Second Round

The inaugural day of the All England Badminton championship turned out to be a disappointing one for the Indians as their star shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out in the first round in Birmingham. Barring B Sai Praneeth, rest of the Indians in action failed to cross the first-round hurdle.

It was a painful exit for Sindhu. The fifth seed was surprised by unseeded Sung Ji Hyun 16-21, 22-20, 18-21. In a marathon battle which lasted for an hour and 20 minutes, the S. Korean shattered Sindhu’s hopes with a hard-fought victory. Sindhu was well in control initially and was leading on a few occasions in the first game. The Korean suddenly changed gears and reeled off four consecutive points to claim the opener at 21-16.

It was Sung’s second successive and overall seventh victory against Sindhu in their 15th clash so far. Sung will lock horns with Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi in the second round.

In an all-Indian men’s singles clash, 2017 Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth pipped fellow Gopichand Academy trainee HS Prannoy 21-19, 21-19. With this 52-minute win, Sai Praneeth levelled the head-to-head record at 2-2. Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy gave a big scare to seventh seeds Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto of Japan before losing 21-16, 26-28, 16-21.

The unseeded Indian duo had a match point in the second game but could not capitalize on it and succumbed to pressure. Another Indian women’s doubles pair of Meghana Jakkampudi and Poorvisha S Ram fought hard before going down 21-18, 12-21, 12-21 to the Russian duo of Ekaterina Bolotova and Alina Daveltova.

Results (Indians): Round 1: Women’s singles: PV Sindhu lost to Sung Ji Hyun (Korea) 16-21, 22-20, 18-21. Men’s singles: B Sai Praneeth bt HS Prannoy 21-19, 21-19. Women’s doubles: Ashwini Ponnappa-N Sikki Reddy lost to 7-Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto (Japan) 21-16, 26-28, 16-21; J Meghana-Poorvisha S Ram lost to Ekaterina Bolotova-Alina Davletova (Russia) 21-18, 12-21, 12-21

Day 2

Suhas Nayse, Saina, Srikanth enter quarters, March 8, 2019: The Times of India

The success of Saina Nehwal revolves around her mental toughness. The gutsy Indian once again displayed her strong character as she stormed into the women’s singles quarterfinal in the All England Badminton Championship at Birmingham.

Joining her in the lasteight stage was Kidambi Srikanth, who also registered a three-game victory against Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-17, 11-21, 21-12 in 58 minutes.

Earlier, Saina thumped Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-17, 21-18 in 35 minutes to launch her campaign on a rousing note.

Seventh seed Srikanth ended the two-match losing streak against Christie, world No.9. Srikanth was almost flawless in the first and third games, dishing out series of down-the-line smashes and brilliant net play. In the quarterfinal, Srikanth will also run into top seed and world No. 1 Kento Momota. The Japanese has a 10-3 record against the Indian.

Earlier, B Sai Praneeth bowed out in the second round. After defeating compatriot HS Prannoy in the first round, Praneeth could not continue his good run and lost 12-21, 17-21 against Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in 35 minutes.

Day 3

Suhas Nayse, Saina fails to crack Tai Tzu code again, March 9, 2019: The Times of India

Indian Bows Out In Quarters Of All England

The dismal run of Saina Nehwal against Tai Tzu Ying continued as she suffered her 13th straight defeat against the in-form Chinese Taipei shuttler to bow out of the All England Badminton Championship at Birmingham Arena on Friday. In a well-contested women’s singles quarterfinal, top seed Tai Tzu overcame the spirited late challenge from Saina to post a hard-fought 21-15, 21-19 win in 37 minutes.

Much was expected from Saina, 28, after her two brilliant victories in as many days but defending champion Tai Tzu, 24, stopped the Indian in her strides. The world No. 1 has not lost a single match since 2013 against Saina. The world No. 9 gave it her all but her best was not enough against a player, who’s been unstoppable in the last couple of years.

Saina, who will turn 29 next week, was satisfied with her show but admitted that it could have been better.

Bangladesh International Challenge

Lakshya wins his fifth title; juniors excel

Dec 16, 2019 Times of India

Even as the seniors struggled to make a mark, Lakshya Sen clinched his fifth title of the year winning the Bangladesh International Challenge in Dhaka.

It was a day to celebrate for Indian badminton as Tasnim Mir claimed her maiden under-15 women’s singles title at the Asia Junior Badminton Championships.

In an all-India final, Tasnim defeated compatriot Tara Shah17-21,21-11,21-19 tobag gold in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Lakshya’s victorious march began with the Belgian International in September. He had also won the Dutch Open Super 100, SarrLorLux Super 100 in October before triumphing at Scottish Open last month. Delighting after finishing the year on a memorable note, Lakshya tweeted, “Happy to end the year on a winning note with my fifth international title here in Bangladesh! Hope to continue my good form in the next year 2020.”

In the final, Lakshya downed Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia 22-20, 21-18. Indians have also won two silver medals in Dhaka. Men’s doubles duo of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila secured silver as they lost to Malaysian pair of Yee Jun Chang and Kai Wun Tee 21-19, 21-16 in the final.

Women’s doubles duo of K Maneesha and Rutuparna Panda suffered a narrow loss against Tan Pearly Koong Le and Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia 20-22,19-21in the summit clash.

Bulgarian Junior International Championships, Pazardzhik

Sourabh wins gold; Ashwini-Sikki silver

August 12, 2019: The Times of India

Indian juniors ruled the roost clinching three gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the Bulgarian Junior International Championships in Pazardzhik on Sunday. Hyderabad girl Samiya Imad Farooqui won the girls singles gold with a 9-21, 21-12, 22-20 victory against Anastasiia Shapovalova of Russia in the final.

Girls doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Aditi Bhatt and the mixed doubles combine of Edwin Joy and Shruti Mishra also finished on top of the podium.

The ever-improving girls doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Aditi Bhatt were highly impressive in the final as they stunned Turkish top seeds Bengisu Ercetin and Zehra Erdem 21-15, 18-21, 21-18. Edwin Joy and Shruti Mishra brought more delight for the Indian contingent with their effortless 21-14, 21-17 win over the British second seeds Brandon Zhi Hao Yap and Abbygael Harris.

The only final result that did not go India’s way was the boys doubles one where the top-seeded British pair of William Jones and Brandon Zhi Hao inflicted a 21-19, 21-18 defeat on fourth seeds Ishan Bhatnagar and Vishnu Vardhan Goud Panjala.

Other than these results, a couple of Indians bowed out in the semifinals and had to settle for the bronze. TNN

Juniors win 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze

August 12, 2019: The Times of India

Indian juniors ruled the roost clinching three gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the Bulgarian Junior International Championships in Pazardzhik on Sunday. Hyderabad girl Samiya Imad Farooqui won the girls singles gold with a 9-21, 21-12, 22-20 victory against Anastasiia Shapovalova of Russia in the final.

Girls doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Aditi Bhatt and the mixed doubles combine of Edwin Joy and Shruti Mishra also finished on top of the podium.

The ever-improving girls doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Aditi Bhatt were highly impressive in the final as they stunned Turkish top seeds Bengisu Ercetin and Zehra Erdem 21-15, 18-21, 21-18. Edwin Joy and Shruti Mishra brought more delight for the Indian contingent with their effortless 21-14, 21-17 win over the British second seeds Brandon Zhi Hao Yap and Abbygael Harris.

The only final result that did not go India’s way was the boys doubles one where the top-seeded British pair of William Jones and Brandon Zhi Hao inflicted a 21-19, 21-18 defeat on fourth seeds Ishan Bhatnagar and Vishnu Vardhan Goud Panjala.

Other than these results, a couple of Indians bowed out in the semifinals and had to settle for the bronze. TNN

BWF World Championships, Basel

Prannoy beats Lin Dan in second round

Manne Ratnakar, August 21, 2019: The Times of India

HS Prannoy packed off five-time world champion Lin Dan 21-11, 13-21, 21-7 in the second round, thereby, causing a minor upset at the BWF World Championships in Basel. The exit of Super Dan was not surprising as the legend is not a force anymore.

Sai Praneeth joined Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals with an impressive 21-16, 21-15 victory over Dong Keun Lee of Korea. Playing an aggressive game, Praneeth, targeted the backhand side of the Korean and did not allow Lee to play his trademark rally game.

Praneeth will now face the winner of the second round match between Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia and Toby Penty of England.

Incidentally, this is the third time Prannoy has defeated Lin Dan in five meetings. Prannoy started with a 6-2 lead in the first game. He moved to 10-3 and dominated the contest. Lin Dan recovered in the second game. He led 10-8 and 14-8 and wrapped up the game to push the contest into the decider.

Surprisingly, the veteran looked helpless as the hard hitting Prannoy won points with ease in the decider. From 6-5, Prannoy raced to 14-5. And with another five straight points he snuffed out Lin Dan’s challenge.

Prannoy will play reigning world champion Kento Momota, who thrashed Luis Enrique Penalver of Spain 21-10, 21-7. Momota enjoys a 4-0 win-loss record against Prannoy. Prannoy said that he was cautious despite the lead. “The start and ending was good. In the second game the strategy didn’t work. Thanks to the coaches, I was patient. I was ready for a long match as the shuttles are not fast. He is always a tough player. I was really cautious that this should not slip away,” Prannoy told the BWF website. Prannoy said he has a point to prove against Momota. “The draw was tough. I am looking forward to play Momota as there are some things which I need to prove and I think this is the event. I know I am a big tournament player. The day after might be a good day,” Prannoy added.

Late on Monday, Sameer Verma lost to Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 21-15,15-21,10-21.

Sai, Sindhu enter semi-finals

Manne Ratnakar August 24, 2019: The Times of India

Sai Praneeth Bhamidipati made history on Friday, becmoning the second men’s singles shuttler from India to win a World Championships medal. The world No.19 drubbed world No.4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 24-22, 21-14 a little after PV Sindhu assured herself of a fifth medal at the Worlds with a gallant display to down Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 12-21, 23-21, 21-9.

Sindhu enters Final; Sai wins Bronze

Manne Ratnakar, August 25, 2019: The Times of India

PV Sindhu, the big tournament player, is on the prowl again. The 24-year-old Indian made short work of China’s Chen Yu Fei 21-7, 21-14 in just 40 minutes to storm into the final of the World Championships for the third consecutive time. Before her semifinal win in Basel on Saturday, Sindhu had reached the summit clash in 2017 and 2018 only to falter at the last hurdle. Her loss to Nozomi Okuhara in 2017 was heart-breaking as just a couple of points separated her from the top honour. Sindhu had also won bronze as an 18-yearold in 2013 and repeated the feat in 2014.

A determined Sindhu will be a formidable foe for Okuhara in this year’s final. The latter defeated Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 17-21, 21-18, 21-15 in the second semifinal. Sindhu enjoys an 8-7 win-loss record against the Japanese shuttler. Sindhu defeated Okuhara at the Indonesia Open last month.

Sai Praneeth, however, settled for a bronze as he lost the semifinal to Kento Momota 21-13, 21-8. The Japanese world No.1 was too good for the Indian. Momota will face either Anders Antonsen of Denmark or Kantaphon Wangcharoen in the final. Praneeth said there are so many positives from this tournament. “This was one of the best tournaments I had played. There are so many positives for me. My recent performances were good,” said Praneeth. “I was pushing the pace but I was not getting points and I was getting mentally tired. I did not know what to do,” Praneeth added.

The women’s final on Sunday promises to be an exciting contest given the manner in which Sindhu dominated Yu Fei. In the first game, Sindhu called the shots and wrapped it up in 15 minutes. Packing her smashes with enormous power, many over 350 kph, Sindhu went into the break up 11-3. Sindhu was more aggressive on resumption, winning points at will. The huge margin of win made a difference as a confident Sindhu sniffed a chance and went for the jugular in the second.

Yu Fei tried hard, but Sindhu was in no mood to loosen her grip on the contest. From 6-5, the Indian raced ahead to 9-5 and then 14-6 in quick time. Yu Fei changed strategy and tried to drag the Indian near the net. Sindhu was up to that challenge and displayed her retrieving skills. It was evident that Sindhu has benefited from working hard on her defence under the new Korean coach Kim Ji Hyun. In the end, it was Sindhu’s attacking prowess that made the difference.

So dominant was Sindhu that Yu Fei could not win two straight points up to the 10th point in the second game. Still, Sindhu was not satisfied. “There is one more match to go. Definitely I’d want a gold. But it is not easy. I have been playing with both of them (Ratchanok and Okuhara). I think anybody is fine. I need to focus, go back tomorrow and give my best,” Sindhu told the BWF website. “I was well prepared. From the start I maintained the lead and finished it off. In the second set I made some unforced errors but I was leading by then. I hope it goes the same way tomorrow.”

Indian doubles teams progress

Manne Ratnakar , Sep 18, 2019: The Times of India

Indian doubles teams — Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy/Chirag Shetty and Satwik/Ashwini Ponnappa — progressed into the second round of the China Open BWF Super-1000 tournament in Changzhou.

After recovering from the shoulder injury that forced him to skip the World Championships, Satwik combined with Ashwini to shock the sixth-seeded Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti 22-20, 17-21, 21-17 in the mixed doubles first round.

Trailing 15-19 in the first game, the unseeded Indian pair made a splendid comeback and even saved two game points before winning the first. Though they lost the second they were quite impressive in the decider. They will now face Japanese duo of Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsutomo in the pre-quarterfinals.

BWF Tour Finals

Sindhu, lone Indian for BWF Tour Finals

PV Sindhu has had a forgettable year, but for her World title. And the list of qualifiers announced for the BWF World Tour Finals is a reflection of Sindhu’s belowpar show. However, Sindhu apart, no other Indian made it to the Tour Finals in any of the five categories. Only the top eight performers in a calendar year make it to the year-end event in Guangzhou beginning December 11. TNN/ AGENCIES

Sindhu  wins BWF Finals, Guangzhou, a victory after a while

Manne Ratnakar , Dec 14, 2019 Times of India

PV Sindhu ended the year on a winning note. The Indian registered a 21-19, 21-19 victory against He Bingjiao of China at the BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou.

Though it was an inconsequential match as the semifinalists from Group ‘A’ — Akane Yamaguchi and Chen Yu Fei — were decided itself, the victory will help Sindhu regain her battered confidence.

China Open

Sindhu crashes out; Praneeth wins

Manne.Ratnakar, Sep 20, 2019: The Times of India

PV Sindhu, three weeks after becoming the World champion, suffered a reversal in the second round of the China Open BWF Super-1000 Tournament in Changzhou.

The world No.5 was shocked by world No.15 Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand 21-12, 13-21, 19-21 in 58 minutes. However, Sai Praneeth kept the

Indian hopes alive with a victory against Lu Gaung Zu of China 21-19, 21-19. But Parupalli Kashyap lost to Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia in three games 21-23, 21-15, 12-21. Sindhu looked in full flow in the first game as she raced ahead from 11-10 to 19-10 leaving no scope for her opponent to make a comeback. But after change of courts Sindhu appeared to have been affected by the drift on the court.

Pornpawee capitalised on the situation. She got off to a 5-1 start and from 9-7 she came up with a six-point burst to surprise Sindhu. Even as the lanky Indian struggled to control the shuttle, Pornpawee wrapped up the game at 21-13. In the decider, Sindhu was cruising ahead at 19-15 before Pornpawee scored six consecutive points to pull off a thrilling victory. Incidentally, this is the first victory for the Thai girl in four matches against the Indian.

Sai Praneeth too got affected by the drift but did well towards the end in both the games to prevail over Guang Zu.

“Both of us did a number of mistakes but towards the end I anticipated well and that helped me a lot,” said Sai, who will face Ginting Anthony in the quarterfinals.

Doubles specialist Satwiksairaj Rankireddy lost in both categories. In the men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag Shetty faltered against Japanese fourth seeds Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda 19-21, 8-21. Satwik and Ashwini Ponnappa went down fighting against Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsutomo of Japan 11-21, 21-16, 12-21 in the mixed category.

Sai loses

Manne Ratnakar , Sep 21, 2019: The Times of India

India’s campaign ended with the exit of Sai Praneeth in the quarterfinals of the China Open BWF Super-1000 tournament in Changzhou on Friday. The unseeded Indian lost to seventh seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia 21-16, 6-21, 16-21 in a keenly-contested men’s singles tie that lasted for 55 minutes. Ginting avenged his World championships loss with this victory.

Sai won the first game but fared poorly in the next. In the decider, Sai went into the break with a comfortable lead of 11-7. But after the mandatory change of courts the Indian shuttler struggled to keep pace with his rival. From 7-12, Ginting secured six consecutive points to move ahead of Sai. And again from 13-13, Ginting secured a three-point lead before clinching the match at 21-16.

Sai blamed his loss on the drift. “I was playing fine. But the sides made a lot of difference today. It was very tough on one side. I ended the match on the tougher side which made the difference,” Sai told ToI.

Asked if he was disappointed to exit at the quarterfinal stage, Sai said, “Yes I am disappointed. I had a good chance to make it to the final but it’s ok. Now my focus is on next week’s Korea Open.”

Sindhu loses; Satwik, Chirag, Ashwini win

Nov 6, 2019: The Times of India

World Champion P V Sindhu suffered a shock defeat to lowerranked Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei in the opening round to be ousted but India’s doubles campaign was off to a good start in the USD 700,000 China Open.

World No.6 Sindhu, who made early exits in China, Korea and Denmark, lost 13-21 21-18 19-21 to world No.42 Pai in a 74-minute women’s singles match here. However, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy gave the Indian camp reason to be cheerful with twin victories in the men’s and mixed doubles categories. Thailand Open champions Satwik and Chirag Shetty, who had reached the French Open finals last month, defeated the American pair of Phillip Chew and Ryan Chew 21-9 21-15 to set up a second-round meeting with sixth seeds Japanese Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe.

Earlier, Satwik and Ashwini Ponnappa defeated Canada’s Joshua Hurlburt-Yu and Josephine Wu 21-19 21-19 in the mixed doubles. PTI

Parupalli, Praneeth advance; Saina loses

Saina bows out: There was no end to Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal’s lacklustre run of form as the Olympic bronzemedallist crashed out of China Open on Wednesday following a straight-game opening-round defeat to local favourite Cai Yan Yan. Saina lost 9-21 12-21 in the women’s singles clash that lasted just 24 minutes.

Parupalli Kashyap registered a comfortable straightgame victory over Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin. The Indian outsmarted his Thai opponent 21-14 21-3 in 43 minutes. Sai Praneeth also made it to the second round beating Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia 15-21 21-12 21-10 in a 52-minute hard-fought opening round battle.

Satwik-Chirag in quarters

Fuzhou: Doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Thursday stunned sixth seeds Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe of Japan to enter the quarterfinals of the China Open at Fuzhou. Rankireddy and Shetty got the better of their Japanese opponents 21-18, 21-23, 21-11 in the second round. The Indian pair will face Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China in the quarterfinals.

Satwik-Chirag beat world no.3 pair

Manne Ratnakar, Nov 9, 2019: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their awesome run at the China Open BWF Super-750 tournament on Friday. The Indians ousted the 2018 world champions and world No. 3 pair Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China 19-21, 15-21 in front of the opponent’s home crowd in Fuzhou.

This is the second successive victory for the Indians against the Chinese duo. The young Indian duo dominated the 43-minute quarterfinal clash. In the semifinals on Saturday, the world No. 9 Indians play the world No.1 pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia, who ousted Germans Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel 21-14, 21-19 in the other last-four clash. Satwik-Chirag had lost to the top seeds in the French Open final last month. The Indonesians enjoy a 7-0 record against the Indians.

Chirag told ToI that their game plan worked against the Chinese. “I am happy with the way we played against the Chinese. The gameplan worked for us. We defended well and that worked in our favour,” Chirag said. Chirag said they’re under no pressure going into the semis. “We have played them seven times and haven’t won. So we don’t have any pressure because there is nothing to lose. We can’t play the game that we played the last two days. But if we execute our game plan, we have a chance against them.”

Satwik sounded confident, saying, “We are playing well in this tournament. But tomorrow will be a different ball game against the Indonesians. We need to be strong mentally and physically.” The Indians, who had earlier trained under Kim Tan Her of South Korea, have bettered their endurance under the new Indonesian coach Flandy Limpele. The first game of the quarterfinal went to the wire before Satwik and Chirag raised their game to get past the third seeds. The Chinese rallied from 11-15 down to lead 17-16. But with Chirag guarding the net well, the Indians held their nerve.

The second game saw both teams level till 12-12. The Indians went ahead with three straight points to gain the upper hand. From the bottom-half of the draw, Malaysians Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik stunned world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia 21-13, 22-20 while Japanese fourth seeds Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda drubbed Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge of England 21-10, 21-13.

Satwik-Chirag lose in semis

Manne Ratnakar, Nov 10, 2019: The Times of India

The Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faltered in the semifinals of the China Open BWF Super-750 tournament in Fuzhou. They lost 21-16, 22-20 to Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. This was the Indian duo’s eighth loss in as many matches to the world No.1 Indonesians.

Gideon and Sukamuljo used all their experience to outclass the world No.9 Indian pair in 40 minutes. Despite trying hard, Satwik and Chirag failed to crack the defence of the Indonesians, or stop them from reaching their fourth consecutive finals. They have won this tournament thrice already. In all, Gideon-Sukamuljo have reached nine finals this year.

In both the games, Indians got off to a brisk start but failed to match the prowess of their seasoned opponents. One of the world’s best doubles player at the net, Sukamuljo was in full flow on Saturday. Whenever he got a chance, Sukamuljo easily found a vacant spot in the rival court.

After losing the first game, the Indian boys played with a lot of determination in the second. They secured a 3-1 lead and were involved in a 52-shot rally. The packed stadium witnessed a serious of smashes and unbelievable retrieves in an aggressive display from both sides.

Denmark Open

Sindhu, Praneeth Satwiksairaj-Chirag enter second round

Contrasting wins for Sindhu, Sai Praneeth

PV Sindhu, Sai Praneeth and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the second round of the Denmark Open while Parupalli Kashyap and Sourabh Verma exited Odense on Tuesday. Kashyap, who reached the semifinals of the Korea Open, faltered against Sitthikom Thammasin of Thailand 13-21, 12-21. Sourabh bowed out to Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands 21-19, 11-21, 17-21. World champion Sindhu worked hard against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia for her 22-20, 21-18 win in 38 minutes. In men’s singles, Praneeth made short work of multiple world and Olympic champion Lin Dan of China 21-14, 21-17.

Sameer, Pranaav, Sikki advance

Manne Ratnakar, Oct 17, 2019: The Times of India

Sameer Verma and mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy progressed to the prequarterfinals while Saina Nehwal endured yet another early exit at the Denmark Open BWF Super-750 Tournament in Odense.

Saina suffered a straight game loss against Sayaka Takahashi of Japan 15-21, 21-23. The former world No.1 looked good in the second game but failed to win big points towards the end. Sameer faced no such issues as he eased past Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan 21-11, 21-11. Sameer started with a 4-0 lead in the first game and maintained at least a three-point lead throughout the first game. In the second game, Sameer broke free from 4-4 to 9-4 with a five-point burst and never looked back. In the second round on Thursday, Sameer will face Olympic champion Chen Long, who defeated Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in three games 21-18, 15-21, 21-16.

Sindhu, Sai lose

Manne Ratnakar, Oct 18, 2019: The Times of India

Seventeen-year-old An Se Young recorded the biggest victory of her career when she stunned world champion PV Sindhu 21-14, 21-17 in the second round of the Denmark Open BWF Super-750 tournament in Odense. Meanwhile, in men's singles action, Sameer Verma went down to Chen Long of China 12-21, 10-21 and Sai Praneeth lost to Kento Momota of Japan in straight games 6-21, 14-21.

This is the third straight early exit for Sindhu after her world title in August. She lost in the second round of China Open and the first round of the Korea Open last month. She looked clueless as the Korean attacked her backhand relentlessly with fast paced drives and down the line smashes. Young, who won the Canada Open this year, had lost the Hyderabad Open final in August and Sindhu is her first big victim.

In men's doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost 21-16, 21-15 to Chinese sixth seeds Han Cheng Kai and Zhou Hao Dong. In mixed doubles, Pranaav Chopra and Sikki Reddy went down fighting against Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia 24-26, 21-13, 11-21.

Dutch Open Super 100

Lakshya Sen enters final

Oct 13, 2019: The Times of India

Almere:

Rising Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen stor med into the men’s singles final with a straight-game win over Felix Burestedt of Sweden at the Dutch Open Super 100 tournament here on Saturday. The 18-year-old Indian, who had clinched the Belgian Open last month, beat Felix 21-12, 21-9 in a lop-sided semifinal contest that lasted 33 minutes.

Lakshya had earlier sailed into the men’s singles semifinals with a 21-9, 21-16 win over compatriot BM Rahul Bharadwaj.

Lakshya, who had won the Asian Junior champion, a silver at Youth Olympic Games and a bronze medal at World Junior Championships last year, will now take on Yusuke Onodera of Japan in the summit clash.

In the semifinal, it was neck-and-neck between Lakshya and Felix till the first six points before the Indian pocketed five straight points to surge ahead 11-6. PTI

French Open

Satwik-Chirag pair beat reigning world champs

Manne Ratnakar, Oct 25, 2019: The Times of India

Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (right) and Chirag Shetty stunned reigning world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia 21-18, 18-21, 21-13 in the men’s doubles second round of the French Open BWF Super-750 Tournament in Paris. The duo joined PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal in the quarterfinals.

Satwik and Chirag had shocked the 2018 world champions in July to win the Thailand Open title. Thereafter, Satwik injured his shoulder and they were forced to withdraw from the World Championships in August. But the world No.11 pair exhibited their skills once again on the big stage as they dominated the world No.2 team in three games. Trailing 17-15 in the first game, the boys upped the ante to score five straight points to move to 20-15. However, their experienced rivals played well in the second game and pushed the contest into decider.

In the third game, the Indians broke free from 3-3, moved to 10-5 and then to 16-6 to outclass the experienced campaigners. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Satwik-Chirag will face Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark.

Satwik-Chirag enter SFs

Oct 26, 2019: Sportstar, The Hindu

India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty downed Japanese pair Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe to enter the finals of the French Open BWF Super 750 in Paris.

Satwik and Chirag had come into the match with a 0-2 head-to-head record against the Japanese combination, having lost to them at the 2018 Indonesia Open and 2017 World Championship.

However, the world number 11 Indian pair took the first game 21-11 in 15 minutes before sealing their opponent's fate with a tightly fought second game, 25-23.

Satwik and Chirag were the only remaining Indian representation at the French Open, after P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage.

They will now take on top-seeded Indonesian pair of Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo in the summit clash.

Earlier, in the men's doubles quarterfinals, Satwik and Chirag put on a dominant performance against Danish pair Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen. The Indians took a 11-6 lead and sealed the first game at 21-13 by winning four points in a row.

The Danes came back stronger in the second game as they levelled scores at 10-10, 16-16 and at 19-19. However, the Indian pair won back-to-back points to seal the match at 22-20.

Satwik and Chirag had claimed their maiden Super 500 title at the Thailand Open in August this year and they will be hoping to add a Super 750 trophy to their cabinet.

The duo had reached their first ever World Tour Super 750 quarterfinal in Pairs in 2017, qualified for the semifinals last year and did even better this time around.

Hong Kong Open

Srikanth in QFs; Sindhu, Prannoy, Kashyap bow out

Suhas Nayse, Nov 15, 2019: The Times of India

Kidambi Srikanth was the lone survivor as other Indians, including PV Sindhu, crashed out of the Hong Kong Open BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament. On a disastrous day for Indian shuttlers, Srikanth survived the onslaught as he edged past compatriot Sourabh Verma to seal his place in the quarterfinals.

The most disappointing result among the Indian camp was the second round exit of Sindhu. The sixth seed had never lost against Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in their last ten encounters since 2012. But on Thursday, the Thai girl turned the tables on her nemesis. Busanan won 21-18, 11-21, 21-16.

Srikanth halted the impressive run of qualifier Sourabh Verma with a nail-biting 21-11, 15-21, 21-19 win in the men’s singles second round. In an all-Indian clash, world No. 13 Srikanth needed almost an hour to pip reigning national champion Sourabh. Srikanth will now square off against fifth seed Chen Long of China.

P Kashyap suffered a heart-breaking defeat. Kashyap wasted three match points to lose 21-12, 21-23, 10-21 against second seed Chou Tien Chen. Kashyap, world No. 25, was so close to pull out the upset of the day but could not capitalize on three match points in the second game. In the mixed doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa lost against Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan 19-21, 12-21.

Srikanth enters SFs

Suhas Nayse, Nov 16, 2019: The Times of India

Kidambi Srikanth kept the Indian challenge alive by reaching the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open BWF World Tour Super 500 badminton tournament. Unseeded Srikanth shocked fifth seed Chen Long in the men’s singles quarterfinal to register only his second victory in eight encounters against the tall Chinese. Long, who won the gold medal at 2016 Rio Olympics, retired citing injury after losing the first game quite easily at 21-13.

Srikanth, ranked No. 13, raced to win in just 15 minutes in the opening game. Struggling with his movement, Long pulled out of the match. The 26-year-old Srikanth will now take on local player Lee Cheuk Yiu in the semifinals on Saturday. Lee, 23, thumped former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-14, 21-19 in 38 minutes to seal a last-four berth. Former world No. 1 Srikanth has beaten world No. 27 Lee of Hong Kong 21-17, 21-18 during the India Open at New Delhi last year in the only match they played so far on the circuit.

Srikanth loses in SF

Suhas Nayse, Nov 17, 2019: The Times of India

The brilliant run of Kidambi Srikanth came to an end in the semifinal of the Hong Kong Open World Tour Super 500 badminton tournament at Hong Kong Coliseum on Saturday. Local hero Lee Cheuk Yiu ended Srikanth’s bid to reach the first final of the year with a hard-fought 21-9, 25-23 in 42 minutes. India’s lone hope in the tournament, Srikanth squandered away seven game points to suffer a heart-breaking defeat.

With this win, world No. 27 Lee avenged his earlier loss against Srikanth in the last year’s India Open in New Delhi. It was a below par performance from Srikanth in the first game as he could not control the drift of the shuttle at the far end. The world No. 13 put up a far better performance in the second game. The 26-year-old took an early 5-1 lead and was ahead 11-8 at the break. The Indian maitained his lead and had four game points at 20-16.

However, 23-year-old Lee reeled off four successive points to level the scores. Srikanth again had three game points to his credit but could not capitalize on them. Finally, Lee converted his second match point much to the jubiliation of the home crowd. Lee will face eighth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who eliminated sixth seed and Asian Games champion, Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, 22-20, 13-21, 21-18. “It was good match. I could not start well but I am happy with the way I played in the second game and should have won after leading 20-16. I am little disappointed with it but it’s a game and things like these happen,” Srikanth told TOI.

Hyderabad Open BWF Super-100

Sourabh, Ashwini- Sikki in SFs

August 10, 2019: The Times of India

Sourabh, Ashwini-Sikki keep Indian hopes alive

Sourabh Verma and the women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy eased into the semifinals of the Hyderbad Open BWF Super-100 tournament at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.

Aswhini-Sikki made short work of their compatriots Jakkampudi Meghana and Poorvisha Ram 21-16, 21-15. The Indians will face Ka Yan Fan and Yi Ting Wu of Hong Kong in the semifinals. In men’s singles, Sourabh put out Ajay Jayaram 21-18, 21-9. Despite trailing 12-14 in the first game, Saurabh prevailed. He will face Iskandar Zulkarnain of Malaysia in the semifinals.

Subhakar Dey lost to Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 11-21, 16-21. Meanwhile, the Indian challenge in men’s doubles ended with the exit of Manu Attri-Sumeeth Reddy and Shlok Ramchandran and MR Arjun. TNN

Ashwini-Sikki, Sourabh Verma enter final

August 11, 2019: The Times of India

Ashwini-Sikki, Sourabh Verma close in on titles

Hyderabad:

Sourabh Verma and the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy closed in on titles at the $75000 Hyderabad Open BWF Super-100 tournament. In the semifinals at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Saturday, Sourabh defeated Iskandar Zulkarnian of Malaysia 23-21, 21-16, while Ashwini and Sikki brushed aside Fan Ka Yan and Wu Yi Ting of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-12 .

In the keenly-contested first game, Sourabh led 20-18 only to see Zulkarnain draw level at 20-20. However, Sourabh maintained his cool and from 21-21 he secured the first game. Sourabh secured a six-point lead in the second and was hardly troubled by Zulkarnain. The world No. 44 Indian will square up against Kean Yew Loh in the summit clash.

Ashwini and Sikki will face Baek Ha Na and Jung Kyung Eun on Sunday. TNN

INDIA OPEN

Sindhu crashes out in semis, Srikanth Will Take On Axelsen For Title

Saumyajit Basu, March 31, 2019: The Times of India

A point away from losing the first game, a tame lift from the Chinese toppled over after resting on the chord for a wee bit as PV Sindhu looked on, wrong-footed. The score read 21-21. Bingjiao earned the very next point exactly in similar fashion to reach match point in the first game of the women’s India Open semifinal. Perhaps nerves got the better of Sindhu, as the crowd favourite dumped the shuttle into the net to fritter away the advantage.

One game up, Bingjiao played the way she knows best, retrieving with patience. Being on the shorter side, Bingjiao doesn’t have the luxury to play the more expansive, aggressive game. She has evolved a rather intelligent method to react and return. Blending with it feline fluidity in movement, the 22-year old Chinese kept retrieving Sindhu's fast strokes till the Indian made mistakes. And Sindhu made them at crucial junctures, thereby losing the India Open semifinal 21-23, 18-21. It was Sindhu’s fourth straight loss to the Chinese.

Kidambi Srikanth, the other Indian semifinalist, however, didn’t disappoint. Surviving two successive threesetters is not ideal preparation to face Viktor Axelsen but Srikanth really had no choice. His match running along similar lines, Srikanth lost the first game of the semifinal against unseeded Huang Yuxiang – as he did against Sai Praneeth – and then lifted his game, sharpened his rusty jump smashes and concentrated harder to keep the shuttle in play.

Parupalli Kashyap was just about successful in sowing seeds of doubt in Viktor Axelsen’s mind in the second game after losing the first. Playing against the drift, Axelsen was all willing to engage the Indian into long rallies and the longest went on for 44 shots.

Mixing his strokes well, Kashyap put up a brave fight against the world No. 6 but lost 11-21, 17-21. For Axelsen, India’s best bet Srikanth will be waiting for him.

 Viktor beats Srikanth in finals

Saumyajit Basu, April 1, 2019: The Times of India

Just as the half smash eluded Kidambi Srikanth’s racquet and hit the floor, Viktor Axelsen took off his shirt and ran towards the crowd.

Claiming the men’s singles title after a gap of one year, the world No. 6 from Denmark ended the month, happy and contented after the disappointment in the All-England final in March. “Now I feel quite sorted. The loss in the All-England final rankled a lot,” said Axelsen after sweeping to a 21-7, 22-20 victory over Kidambi Srikanth in the Yonex-Sunrise India Open final at the IG Stadium on Sunday.

In two starkly contrasting games, Axeslen showed turbo-charged aggression in the first and patience with the drift in the second when Srikanth tried to pull things back. Leading 19-17, it looked like Srikanth was on the road to salvage the situation. After the clueless display in the first game, the 2015 winner regained his composure to at least make the match a decent contest. He smashed correctly to reach game point at 20-18 but let the opportunity slip with error-prone shots.

“Srikanth beat me in Denmark Open last year. Now he allowed me to win in India. Maybe, next time we can switch it around,” Axeslen quipped to lift Srikanth’s mood.

Injury had robbed three months of Axelsen’s career. Pointing to the losing finalist, who is also trying to find his rhythm, he said, “I know how difficult it is to come back from injury and be at your best again. It has no fixed timeframe.”

Srikanth, though happy with the way the week has gone for him, could not agree more.

Earlier, Ratchanok Intanon received a loud cheer as her name was announced as the newest women’s India Open champion. In her usual style, with folded hands, the girl from Thailand acknowledged the applause and happily collected the medal and the bouquet, perhaps reliving similar occasions when she topped the podium here in 2013 and 2016.

Sunday seemed to pose a strange set of problems for Intanon’s young Chinese opponent He Bingjioa. The third seed never quite looked in control of her strokes, something that she displayed with unerring precision as recently as on Saturday evening to deny PV Sindhu.

Going neck and neck, Bingjioa lost her way in the final third of the first game when she hit long and into the net to give away the final two points. Failing to stop the slide in the second game, Bingjioa never managed to close the gap that Intanon opened up going into the break.

Winning her third India Open 21-15, 21-14, Ratchanok said, “People say I really play well here. Before I came to the hall, I checked my record against Bingjioa. It read 0-4. I thought, I need to break the trend. I played calmly. Today my mental approach was better than hers. Even though she started well, I never thought of losing.”

COACH GOPI ON INDIA’S PERFORMANCE

ON THE OVERALL DISPLAY: A few of them lost to each other. I would've liked them to play other opponents. The women’s doubles and men’s doubles did well and had a chance to go further. Prannoy had a good tournament. I would have liked Sindhu to wrap up the semifinal match yesterday. Overall it’s been a good campaign.

PLANNING FOR OLYMPICS: Players are planning with a lot more maturity than in the past. So I hope we get some good performances as early as possible to get those slots so that there’s no mad rush towards the end leading to a burnout or an injury just ahead of the Games.

Indonesia Masters

Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth sail into quarterfinals

January 25, 2019: The Times of India

The third day of the Indonesia Masters turned out to be almost perfect one for the Indians with Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth sailing into the quarterfinals at Jakarta.

The top Indian trio of Saina, Sindhu and Srikanth recorded straightgame victories over their respective rivals in the second round encounters to book last-eight berth.

Second seed Sindhu overcame a rusty start to down Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia 23-21, 21-7 in 37 minutes. It was fifth successive win for the 23-year-old Indian over the Indonesian, ranked 14 in the world. The Rio Olympics silver medallist will now square off against her arch rival Carolina Marin of Spain. The fifth seed Spanish player has a 7-5 head-to-head record against the Indian. The reigning Olympic champion will go into the match with a pychological advantage having beaten the tall Hyderabadi in their last clash.

Like Sindhu, Saina also maitained clean slate against her second round opponent Fitriani Fitriani. Saina has never lost a game against the Indonesian in their previous four encounters and Thursday was no different. On way to registering fifth consecutive win against Fitriani, world No. 31, Saina was on song and never allowed her rival to dictate the terms en route 21-17, 21-15 win in 43 minutes.

The 28-year-old Saina will now lock horns with Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the quarters. Eighth seed Saina has never lost to Thai girl in their last three ties so far and is expected to maintain her perfect recond. The only worry for Saina is that she has not face Chochuwong, world No. 22, in the last one and half years.

The lone warrior in the men’s singles, Srikanth made the light work of Kenta Nishimoto of Japan with a clinical 21-14, 21-9 win in exactly half an hour.

Srikanth, world No. 8, improved his record to 4-1 after Thursday’s result. He also avenged his loss against the Japanese, ranked 10th in the world, in the Hong Kong Open a couple of months ago in their previous encounter. Srikanth will face local giant Jonatan Christie for a spot in the semifinal.

Saina enters final

Saina enters Indonesia Masters final, January 27, 2019: The Times of India

Indian ace Saina Nehwal grinded her way to first final of the season with a combative win over China’s He Bingjiao at the USD 350,000 Indonesia Masters badminton tournament. The 28-year-old Indian, who was a runner-up last year, notched up a 18-21 21-12 21-18 win over sixth seed Bingjiao, a world championship bronze medallist.

Eighth seed Saina will now face either Spain’s three-time World Champion and reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin or China’s Chen Yufei, seeded third, in the women’s singles summit clash of the World Tour Super 500 event.

In their first ever meeting in international circuit, Saina showed better court coverage and unleashed some telling smashes to trouble the 21-year-old left-hander. Saina lagged 0-2 initially but clawed back to 5-5 with a couple of smashes. Another powerful straight smash left the Chinese stranded as the Indian led 8-6. She then went into the break with a 11-7 advantage.

The Hyderabadi continued the good run after the breather to lead 16-11 but netted twice to allow Bingjiao narrow down the equation to 15-16. A brilliant cross court smash and a superb drop helped the Chinese keep the deficit to a point till 17-18.

Bingjiao then won a video referral on a line call to make it 18-18. She then unleashed a smash to grab a crucial 19-18 advantage, before holding two game points. The Chinese sealed it when Saina went wide.

In the second game, Saina pulled away doubling the lead at 6-3 after an initial duel and then entered the break with a huge 11-3 margin. A beautifullooking cross court net return helped the Indian swell the lead to 17-9. She then produced two roaring cross court smashes to inch closer to the game point, which she grabbed once the Chinese went wide.

In the final game, Saina continued to go strong, taking a 6-3 lead early on and then extended it to 9-5. The Chinese, however, drew parity at 10-10. After the breather, Saina caught up with the Chinese at 13-13 after prevailing in a rally. She earned the lead at 17-16 with yet another smash to let out a scream. The Indian grabbed two match points and sealed it with yet another precise return.

Title for Saina, hurt Marin pulls out

Suhas Nayse, January 28, 2019: The Times of India

Indonesia Masters Nehwal’s First Big Crown In Two Years

Saina Nehwal might be the oldest player in the world top-25 right now but she is far from not finished. Just a couple of months shy of turning 29, the ace Indian shuttler notched up her maiden Indonesia Masters crown at Jakarta.

Although she would not have liked the way she won the title as her opponent and nemesis Carolina Marin retired hurt in the summit clash, it will nonetheless boost her morale ahead of the All England Championship. The Spanish player got off to a flying start and was leading comfortably 10-4 when the match was only ten minutes old. However, the fifth seed while going for an overhead shot, perhaps stretched too much and injured her right foot after a hard landing. As she cried in pain, it was clear she could not continue playing. The three-time world champion had no choice but to pull out of the match.

In the Malaysia Masters semifinal a week before, Marin had beaten Saina in the semifinal. Marin led 6-5 in her head-tohead record against Saina before Sunday’s clash. It was Saina’s first major BWF title in two years. The eighth seed had won her last tile in Malaysia in 2017. Last year, Saina had lost to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in this event’s final. It was Saina’s maiden title in Indonesia in eight appearances.

Saina was happy with the much-needed title but felt sorry for her arch-rival Marin. “Not the way I wanted it in the finals of Indonesia Masters. Injuries are worst for players and it was very unfortunate to see Carolina, the best player in women’s badminton, to face it today in the match. I wish her a very speedy recovery,” said Saina, who had rallied to down sixth seed HeBingjiaoof China 18-21,21-12,21-18 in 58 minutes in the semifinal.

In the men’s singles final, Denmark’s Anders Antonsen edged past hot favourite and top seed Kento Momota of Japan 21-16, 14-21, 21-16 to emerge champion.

Indonesia Open

Sindhu survives/ Srikanth, others make early exit

Manne Ratnakar, July 19, 2019: The Times of India

A bumbling PV Sindhu was the lone Indian to survive the cut in the Indonesia Open BWF Super-1000 Tournament in Jakarta. Sindhu stuttered before recovering to beat Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark 21-14, 17-21, 21-11 in the pre-quarterfinals but the others bit the dust.

The Indian challenge came to an end in men’s singles and doubles events with the second round exit of Kidambi Srikanth, Pranaav Chopra-Sikki Redy and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty. The former world No.1 lost to NG Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in straight games 17-21, 19-21 while Pranaav and Sikki lost to Si Wei Zheng and Huang Ya Qiong of China 14-21, 11-21 and Satwik and Chirag faltered against top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia 15-21, 14-21. Earlier, Olympic silver medallist Sindhu worked hard for 62 minutes to get past Mia. Several unforced errors in the second game affected Sindhu’s rhythm. But the Indian recovered in time to beat Mia. “I made some unforced errors in the second game. When she dived and fell down I made unnecessary mistakes like hitting the shuttle into the net. I conceded two, three very important points and gave her the lead. But in the third game I was quite comfortable. She is a very attacking player and I was very much wary of her,” Sindhu said.

After winning the first game comfortably, Sindhu slumped in the second. From 16-15, Mia moved ahead to 19-15 securing four straight points, two of them due to unforced errors from Sindhu. But Sindhu made a splendid comeback in the third game. From 2-2, Sindhu raced ahead to 10-2 and then to 15-4, thereby, leaving no chance for her opponent to make a comeback.

Sindhu will face former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, who beat Soniia Cheah of Malaysia 21-7, 21-16, in the quarterfinals on Friday. In 14 previous meetings the honours are equally shared by the shuttlers.

“It is not going to be easy. I have to stick to my plan. I will give my 100%,” Sindhu said about facing Okuhara.

Sindhu advances to semi- finals

Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com

After stuttering in the first two rounds, PV Sindhu stormed into the semifinals, beating Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 21-14, 21-7 at the Indonesia Open BWF Super-1000 Tournament in Jakarta. The fifth-seeded Indian took just 44 minutes to oust the former world champion. “I’m very happy with my performance today, I played well," Sindhu told BWF website after her victory. Unlike the match on Friday, the other 14 ties between the two were always intense affairs, involving a number of long rallies.

Sindhu enters finals

M Ratnakar, July 20, 2019: The Times of India

Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu beats Chen Yu Fei to march into final

HYDERABAD: PV Sindhu trounced reigning All England champion Chen Yu Fei 21-19, 21-10 to waltz into her first final of the year at the Indonesia Open BWF Super-1000 Tournament in Jakarta on Saturday.

Almost seven months after winning the BWF Tour finals, Sindhu is just one victory short of her first title this season. Incidentally, this will also be the first major final appearance by an Indian this year. "I’m very happy to make my first finals this year. I will do my best to win the title," Sindhu told BWF website.

Asked about her approach against the Chinese girl, Sindhu said, "I never thought about her form and I was confident of my form. Even when I was trailing, I never took a back step... I fought back and equalised. I was ready for everything today."

In the title clash on Sunday, Sindhu will face Akane Yamaguchi, who downed World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying 21-9, 21-15. Sindhu enjoys a 10-4 win-loss record against Yamaguchi and has won the last four matches against her since All England in March 2018.

The Indian was wary of Yamaguchi. "Akane and me have played a lot. It's going to be a match with long rallies. I have to get back, rest well and come back. We know each other's game well, so there is not much of a strategy, it's just that we need to give our best on the court," Sindhu said.

Against Chen, Sindhu trailed by four points in the first game. From 14-18, Sindhu made it 19-18 but hit the bird wide and the scores were level at 19-19. After a long rally, Yu Fei found the net and misjudged one at the back court to handover the first game.

In the second game, a determined Yu Fei opened up a 4-0 lead. But Sindhu raced ahead by winning seven consecutive points from 2-5 to 8-5. From 10-8, Sindhu won eight straight points to move well clear of Yu Fei.

Fourth seed Tien Chen Chou made it to the men's singles final with a 21-19, 18-21, 21-16 victory against Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand. He will face the Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the final.

Indian challenge ends in Russia

The Indian doubles teams lost their semifinal encounters at the Russian Open BWF Super-100 Tournament in Vladivostok on Saturday.

The women's doubles top seeds Jakkampudi Meghana and Poorvisha S Ram lost to Japanese fourth seeds Miki Kashihara and Miyuki Kato 10-21, 8-21.

In mixed doubles, eighth seeds Dhruv Kapila and Meghana lost to seventh seeds Adnan Maulana and Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso of Indonesia 6-21, 15-21.

Final: Sindhu loses to Yamaguchi

July 21, 2019: The Times of India

Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu loses to Akane Yamaguchi in title clash

JAKARTA: PV Sindhu's hopes of breaking a seven-month title drought came crashing down as the Indian lost in straight games to Akane Yamaguchi in the final of Indonesia Open BWF Tour Super 1000 tournament.

Seven months after becoming the first Indian to win the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in December, Olympic silver medallist Sindhu had an opportunity to finally lay her hands on another crown only to squander, losing 15-21, 16-21 to the Japanese in a lop-sided summit clash that lasted 51 minutes here. Playing her first final of the season, Sindhu looked a bit anxious and failed to match the brilliance of the 22-year-old Yamaguchi, whom she had beaten in the last four meetings.

This was Sindhu's fifth loss to Yamaguchi in 15 meetings. The last time the Indian lost to the Japanese was at the semifinals of the All England Championship last year.

The defeat added to Sindhu's list of runners-up finishes, which include silvers at the World Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Thailand Open and India Open last year.

It was Yamaguchi's third title of the season after claiming crowns at German Open and Asian Championship.

Prior to this in 2019, Sindhu reached the semifinals of Singapore Open and India Open.

Sindhu had a forgettable start in the opening game as she lagged 0-3 but soon the Indian controlled the proceedings, making Yamaguchi run across the court and finishing with her precise returns to take a 5-4 lead.

Yamaguchi took the lead at 7-7 when Sindhu went wide. But the Indian managed to grab a three-point advantage at the break after the Japanese went wide twice.

Yamaguchi then displayed good retrieval skills and grabbed three straight points when Sindhu miscued her strokes.

A delicate net short took Yamaguchi to 12-13 but she again missed the line. The Japanese levelled par at 14-14 when the Indian went long.

Yamaguchi attacked Sindhu's long backhand corner and soon eked out a 16-14 lead. An attacking game helped the Japanese to widen the gap as Sindhu once again sent a shuttle wide.

A lapse in backhand defence and then one shot going long from Sindhu gave Yamaguchi six game points. The Indian saved one before a smash to a return of serve helped the Japanese to seal the opening game.

In the second game, Yamaguchi made a good start again, moving to a 4-1 lead before stretching it to 8-5 with Sindhu struggling to control the shuttle. The Indian won a few points because of unforced errors by Yamaguchi.

The Japanese sent one at Sindhu's body during a flat exchange before entering the interval with a 11-8 advantage, when the Indian hit out.

Sindhu unleashed a cross court smash and pushed one at the backcourt to leave Yamaguchi off balance, but the Japanese rode on the Indian's unforced errors to move to a 15-10 lead.

At 15-11, the duo played a 51-shot rally that ended with Sindhu making a judgement error.

Two unforced errors by Yamaguchi took Sindhu to 13-16 before she moved to 15-18. After a treatment on her right knee, Yamaguchi was back on the court and produced a smash to make it 19-15.

The Japanese held four match points when Sindhu went long and she sealed it with another smash to claim the biggest title of her career.

Japan Open BWF Super-750

Sindhu, Praneeth, Satwik-Chirag advance

Manne Ratnakar, July 26, 2019: The Times of India

In less than a week, PV Sindhu earned a chance to avenge her Indonesia final defeat to Akane Yamaguchi. The World No.5 Indian recovered to beat Aya Ohori of Japan 11-21, 21-10, 21-13 in the pre-quarterfinals of the Japan Open BWF Super-750 tournament in Tokyo on Thursday and takes on the diminutive Japanese.

Sindhu enjoys a 10-5 winloss record against Yamaguchi. Sai Praneeth and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag joined Sindhu in the quarterfinals while HS Prannoy and the mixed pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwik lost their second round ties.

The doubles outfit of Satwik-Chirag outsmarted China’s Liu Cheng and Kai Xiang Huang 15-21, 21-11, 21-19. The young shuttlers, who produced some top class results in the last few months, surprised the Chinese pair. Leading 16-11 in the decider, Satwik and Chirag suddenly lost control in the decider but quickly regained composure to get the better of their rivals.

“We were up 16-11 we would have won a bit more easier. It is always difficult against the Chinese. After losing the first game we could figure out what to do next. In the second game, we got off to a 8-0 start and were quite comfortable,” Chirag told the BWF website.

The Indian boys, ranked 18th in the world, will face Japanese second seeds Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda next. The Japanese had defeated the Indians twice in the past. In men's singles Praneeth registered an impressive 21-13, 21-16 victory against giant-killer Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan. The 2017 Singapore Super Series champion will play Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia in the quarterfinals.

Prannoy lost to littleknown Rasmus Gemke of Japan 21-9, 21-15. “It was our first meeting. I did not have any strategy,” Prannoy said. “There were a lot of errors from my side and I lost confidence after a couple of strokes went wrong,” he added.

Sai in semis; Sindhu exits

Manne Ratnakar, July 27. 2019: The Times of India

Two years and three months after winning Singapore Super Series, Sai Praneeth reached the semifinal of a major event by ousting Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia 21-12, 21-15 in the Japan Open BWF Super-750 tournament in Tokyo on Friday. Praneeth is the lone Indian in the fray following the exit of PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

Sindhu once again succumbed to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, this time 21-18, 21-15. “There were good rallies and I should have been more patient. I would have won the first set but there were too many unforced errors from my side,” Sindhu told the BWF website, adding that she was not too worried about her second loss to the same player in a week. “Everyone is of the same standard, it’s just that whoever plays well on that day wins,” she added. In doubles, Satwik and Chirag gave a good fight before losing 21-19, 21-18 to world No.3 Japanese pair of Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda.

Earlier, Praneeth gave no chance to Sugiarto. Praneeth had lost in the first round in Indonesia. “Because of the conditions, I was not comfortable in Indonesia. But once I defeated Nishimoto here (in the first round) I got confident. This year, right from PBL I’ve been feeling good about my game. We also had time to train this year. After Australia Open, we had five weeks,” Praneeth added. Praneeth will face world No.1 Kento Momota of Japan on Saturday. The world No.23 Indian was clear about his game plan — to stop Momota from playing rallies. “I need to take quick points,” he said.

Indian juniors tumble out

The Indian challenge ended at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Suzhou, China. The men’s doubles team of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Vishnu Vardhan Goud Panjala lost 21-14, 21-19 to Jia Hao Howin Wong and Chuan Shen Aaron Yong of Indonesia. The women’s duo of Aditi Bhatt and Tanisha Crasto lost 21-7, 21-16 to Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min of China.

Praneeth loses to Momota in semi-finals

Manne Ratnakar, July 28, 2019: The Times of India

Momota too good for Praneeth

Hyderabad:

With a herculean task of ousting Kento Momota, Sai Praneeth had come with a game plan. But the world No.1 Japanese shuttler was too good as he outsmarted the Indian 21-18, 21-12 in the semifinals of the Japan Open BWF Super-750 Tournament in Tokyo .

Praneeth’s plan was to be aggressive and cut short the rallies. He succeeded only to an extent. Praneeth executed some breathtaking smashes, packed cross court drives with a lot of power and earned some early points. But once Momota found his range, the going became tough for the Indian.

Despite failing to retrieve some crosscourt smashes, Momota was in control. Retrieving almost everything, he made Praneeth push hard for points. The ploy worked as Praneeth began making mistakes. The Indian was also not able to match Momota’s speed. The Japanese superstar was unstoppable from the 11th point in the first game.

In the final, Momota will face Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, who downed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark. Meanwhile, Akane Yamaguchi will face Nozomi Okuhara in the final of women’s singles. In the semifinals, Yamaguchi ousted Chen Yufei 21-15, 21-15 and Okuhara defeated Michelle Li 21-12, 21-18.

Jinan Open

Prajnesh in QF; 3 Indians in doubles SF

Sep 6, 2019: The Times of India

Top seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran booked a singles quarterfinal berth at the Jinan Open with a hard-fought win over Chinese Taipei’s Tung-Lin Wu, here on Thursday. The Indian left-hander had to toil hard before prevailing 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the third round.

Prajnesh had plenty of breakpoints but could convert only two of the eight and dropped his serve once in the one-hour-34-minute clash. He next faces Japanese eighth seed Go Soeda, who steam-rolled Chinese Di Wu 6-1, 6-2.

Meanwhile, in the doubles event, three Indians will feature in the top-half semifinal. Top seed Divij Sharan and Matthew Ebden beat Pedja Krsten and Akira Santillan 6-1, 6-4. They will now face fourth-seeded Indian pair of Saketh Myneni and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, who beat Hiroki Moriya and Goncalo Oliveira 7-5, 6-2. PTI

Junior badminton: Meiraba, Aditi triumph

Maisnam Meiraba dished out yet another dominating show in the finals to claim the men’s singles title at the Krishna Khaitan All India Junior Ranking Badminton tournament in Panchkula on Sunday. Tanisha Crasto and Aditi Bhatt also had a memorable campaign as they returned with twin crowns. Meiraba was unstoppable in his 21-12, 21-11 demolition of second seed Sathish Kumar K. In girls’ singles, Aditi showed steely nerves and resilience in her 22-20, 13-21, 22-20 marathon win over top seed Unnati Bisht in the final. AGENCIES

Kadambari Chheda-Donvalkar: Mrs India USA Oregon

Suhas Nayse, Dec 7, 2019 Times of India

Often in her career, the word ‘beautiful’ was used to describe the way Kadambari Chheda-Donvalkar played badminton. It came as pleasant surprise then to the former India No. 3 when she was crowned ‘Mrs India USA Oregon 2019’ at a beauty pageant in Seattle (Washington).

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Kadambari went on get a doctorate in economics and is now based in Portland, Oregon after her marriage. She used to work as a senior research officer with United Nations (India office) before moving to the US. The 29-year-old is the current Oregon USA state women’s badminton champion and also coaches at the Oregon Badminton Academy.

A contemporary of Saina Nehwal, Kadambari was ranked as high as No. 3 in India in the U-19 girls singles and No. 1 in U-19 girls doubles with her partner Sanyogita Ghorpade, around a decade ago.

As a teenager, Kadambari won several state level and national level titles. She also represented India at the Indonesian Open in 2008 where Saina was her teammate. During graduation, she was part of the Indian University team which participated in the 2010 World University Championships in Chinese Taipei. When Kadambari was junior India No. 3 in 2008, Saina was ranked first.

“I am very happy to have won a beauty contest in the US. With this achievement, I have qualified for the national level competition. I am confident that I will bring glory to India. I want to promote sports in big way and work with United Nations,” Kadambari told TOI on Friday.

Korea Open

Kashyap in SFs

Sep 28, 2019: The Times of India

Kashyap seals Korea Open semis spot

Incheon:

Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap progressed to the men’s singles semifinals of the Korea Open World Tour Super 500 with a straight game win over former world No. 2 Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen here on Friday. In a clinical display, the 33-yearold from Hyderabad, who is the lone Indian left in fray, outsmarted Jorgensen 24-22, 21-8 in 37 minutes to make it to his second semifinal of the season. He had reached the last four at the India Open Super 500 tournament.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist will now face world No. 1 and twotime world champion Kento Momota of Japan on Saturday. A former world No. 6, Kashyap, who was promoted from the qualifying round, had last played Jorgensen five years ago at the Denmark Open. The Indian entered the match with a 2-4 record against Jorgensen, a 2015 World Championship bronze medallist.

In the first game, the duo engaged in short rallies initially and spilt the first 8 points. A couple of backhand error and Kashyap was lagging 5-8. PTI

Kashyap loses to Momota in semis

Sep 29, 2019: The Times of India

Valiant Kashyap bows out to Momota in semis

Incheon:

Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap’s impressive run at the Korea Open Super 500 tournament came to an end after he lost to world No 1 Kento Momota of Japan in the men’s singles semifinals. Kashyap, who was the lone Indian left in fray, went down 13-21 15-21 to the two-time reigning world champion Momota in 40 minutes.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, who was promoted from the qualifying round, had last played Momota four years ago at the Indonesia Open. Kashyap had a 0-2 record against the Japanese prior to Saturday’s encounter.

Luwang wins title, Sathish bronze

Luwang clinches Korea Junior Open title; Sathish Kumar wins bronze: 

Maisnam Meiraba Luwang lived up to his top billing as he clinched the boys’ singles U-19 title at the Woncheon Yonex Korea Junior Open International Challenge 2019 in Miryang, Korea on Saturday. The top seed from Manipur needed just 36 minutes to brush aside the challenge of 15th seed Lee Hak Joo of Korea in a 21-10, 21-13 win. Also claiming the bronze in the same category at this Junior International Challenge tournament was eighth seed Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, who had bowed out to Luwang 16-21, 22-24 in a gritty semifinal contest.

Lakshya wins maiden BWF title

Lakshya wins maiden BWF World Tour title

Almere: Rising Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched his maiden BWF World Tour title by winning the Dutch Open men’s singles title after beating Yusuke Onodera of Japan in the summit clash here on Sunday. The 18-year-old Indian rallied from a game deficit to defeat his world no. 160 opponent 15-21 21-14 21-15 in a final that lasted 63 minutes. The Dutch Open is a BWF World Tour Super 100 tournament. Lakshya, currently ranked 72nd, had won the Belgian Open last month and reached the finals of Polish Open this year.

Malaysia Masters

Saina loses to Marin in semi-finals

Saina loses to Marin, January 19, 2019: The Times of India

India’s Campaign Ends In Malaysia

Saina Nehwal’s impressive run at the Malaysia Masters came to an end following her straight-game loss to reigning Olympic and world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the women’s singles semifinals. The 28-year-old Indian, who had won the title in 2017 and was a runners-up in the 2011 edition, went down16-2113-21to fourth seed Marin in a 40-minute match to bring an end to India’s campaign at the first World Tour Super 500 tournament of the season.

Malaysia Open

Srikanth in quarters; Sindhu falters again

April 5, 2019: The Times of India

Kidambi Srikanth made it to the men's quarterfinal but PV Sindhu went down in straight games in women’s singles competition at the $750,000 Malaysia Open. Eighth seeded Srikanth defeated Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab 21-11 21-15 in little over half an hour to set up a meeting with Olympic champion and fourth seed Chen Long of China.

The 26-year-old is now the lone Indian survivor in the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament. Fifth seed Sindhu blew a 13-10 advantage in the opening game to go down rather meekly 18-21 7-21 to world No 10 Sung Ji Hyun for her third straight defeat to the Korean. The Indian had to the Korean in the first round of All England Championship and 2018 Hong Kong open.

Mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy lost 21-15 17-21 13-21 to local combination of Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing of Malaysia India to bow out.

Srikanth opened up a 6-2 lead early on and then jumped to a 14-6 advantage. The Indian continued to dominate the proceedings to pocket the opening game. PTI

Srikanth loses singles quarterfinals

April 5, 2019: The Times of India

A fighting Kidambi Srikanth suffered a straight-game loss to Olympic champion Chen Long of China to bow out of the men’s singles quarterfinals at the Malaysia Open.

The eighth seeded Indian, who had reached the finals of India Open last week, blew a huge advantage in the opening game to eventually lose the quarterfinal match 18-21 19-21. This was Srikanth’s fourth quarterfinal of the season.

Nationals: Varma beats Sen; Saina beats Sindhu

Suhas Nayse, SAINA TAMES SINDHU AGAIN, RETAINS CROWN, February 17, 2019: The Times of India

Sourabh Varma Stops Lakshya Sen In Men’s Singles Final At Badminton Nationals

The big battle between India’s badminton queens was once again won by Saina Nehwal. Making light of the top seed and arch-rival PV Sindhu, Saina won 21-18, 21-15 to retain her crown. With this dominating victory, Saina also maintained her perfect record in the Senior Nationals with four titles in as many appearances.

Out of the five finals scheduled on the concluding day of the Senior National Badminton Championship here on Saturday, the Saina-Sindhu clash was the cynosure of all eyes here on Saturday. Sindhu was off the blocks in style, winning the first three points. But Saina did not take long to find her groove. The defending champion first leveled the scores and then took a slender lead (11-10) at the break.

Saina, who will turn 29 next month, maintained a steady lead and didn’t allow Sindhu to nose ahead thereafter. Playing aggressively, Saina used powerful smashes to good effect. Sindhu’s returns were mostly in mid-court areas which were finished in a flash by Saina, who converted her second game point to grab the opener at 21-18.

Like in the first game, Sindhu pocketed the first couple of points in the second, hinting at a fightback. Sindhu was ahead a few times (5-3 and 7-6) but after she lost steam. Saina increased the intensity by firing bullet smashes to every corner of the court. Her aggressive brand of play caught Sindhu completely unawares and she came under tremendous pressure. Saina continued her tempo and sealed the fate of Sindhu on the second match point (21-15) in 44 minutes. It was Saina’s back-to-back win in the Nationals after she won in Nagpur last year.

Results (Finals): Men’s singles: Sourabh Varma bt Lakshya Sen 21-18, 21-13; Women’s singles: 2-Saina Nehwal bt 1-PV Sindhu 21-18, 21-15; Men’s doubles: 2-Pranaav Jerry Chopra-Chirag Shetty bt 1-MR Arjun-Shlok Ramchandran 21-13, 22-20; Women’s doubles: Shikha Gautam-K Ashwini Bhat bt 1-Meghana Jakkampudi-Poorvisha S Ram 21-16, 22-20; Mixed doubles: Manu Attri-K Maneesha bt 1-Rohan Kapoor-Kuhoo Garg 18-21, 21-17, 21-16.

Railways demand team championship winners AAI’s disqualification

Guwahati: The Inter-State team championship runnersup, Railways, have alleged that Airport Authority of India (AAI) won the title by fielding ineligible players and hence should be disqualified. The AAI team edged out Railways 3-2 to clinch their maiden title.

Scottish Open

Lakshya wins Scottish Open

Suhas Nayse, Nov 26, 2019: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen is finally living up to his immense potential. Billed as the next big thing in the Indian badmiton, Lakshya is on a roll with four titltes in last three months. The Scottish Open triumph at Glasgow on Sunday evening was his fourth title in five tournaments since August. Thanks to his rapid strides in the last few months, he has given himself an outside chance of making the cut for the next year’s Olympics.

The 18-year-old is ecstatic after striking the purple patch and rushing back home to grab his fifth title of the season when he will compete in the Syed Modi Internatinal tournament at Lucknow.

“I am happy to win the Scottish Open title. The final was a hard-fought match against Brazil’s Ygor Coelho. It was really nice training with Coelho in Denmark and playing a good match against him at Glasgow,” Lakshya said.

Training partners in the last couple of months in Denmark, top seed Lakshya rallied back to down fourth seed Coelho 18-21, 21-18, 21-19 in nearly an hour. The talented teenager had earlier won two Super 100 events -- Dutch and SaarLorLux Open and Belgian International.

Currently world No. 41, Lakshya is set to break into the top-35 when the BWF releases its latest rankings.

Coach Vimal Kumar is delighted with his ward’s spectacular run and credited his current Europe stint for it.

“Lakshya is showing good improvement in his game this year. We have with the help of OGQ support have been providing him opportunity to compete in certain amount of selected international tournaments. His target for this year was to get into the top-50 in world badminton but he has already achieved that,” Vimal Kumar told TOI.

Vimal thanked living legend Morten Frost for the rise of Lakshya. “We have also with the help of OGQ roped in Frost as a consultant to the academy. From September this year, Lakshya and some others were sent to Aarhus (Denmark) to train and play under Morten. Morten could help Lakshya in getting an opportunity to play in the Division 1 league of Denmark as well,” said Vimal.

Sindhu first Indian to win world badminton gold

August 25, 2019: The Times of India

PV Sindhu’s victory puts India on top of the world

Even as it was sinking in, PV Sindu was waking up to a dream. "Finally, I have become a National champion!” she exclaimed. Then suddenly, she and with her, the rest of India was wide wake. “Sorry, sorry, World Champion!” she laughed, as she repeated the words, slowly and deliberately, lest it slip away. “World Champion...”

You, India, should repeat it too. Slowly and deliberately. It won’t slip away. It’s here to stay. Try it. “World champion…” Then do it again, this time with feeling. “Sindhu! World champion!”

In Basel, home of Roger Federer, the master of all the unhurriedness possible in sport, Sindhu was in a tearing hurry on Sunday. Discarding all the nonchalance of Federer’s game, the ethos of a whole town even, Sindhu went for the jugular from the start -- her devastating smashes leaving Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara all but broken in a blitzkrieg that lasted no longer than 38 minutes!

Many of us back home hadn’t even settled into our couches, and even before the “Where were you that moment?” online threads could take shape, a Hyderabad girl – with all her majestic impatience -- was giving India our first world champion in badminton. Thirty-eight minutes and just 36 points later, she had rampaged to a 21-7, 21-7 victory – a form of complete dominance and control seldom seen in Indian sport in a long, long time.

Or perhaps the manner of dismantling the opponent was unprecedented by Indian standards, but it was a new Sindhu the world was witnessing. "I kept waiting for this. I lost last year (to Carolina Marin) and the year before last. Finally, I made it," Sindhu said, flicking away the beads of sweat that had not even begun to form.

Aggressive, precise and attacking the lines, she was the enforcer, an aspect that was hitherto missing from her game. Factor this: Sunday was her Sindhu’s third consecutive world final. In 2017, when she let the moment slip against the same opponent, they had engaged in what was a famous 73-shot rally. This time, eschewing all the tentativeness of her past finals, perhaps the longest exchange she entertained was a 22-shot affair, for the opening point of the opening game. That was it.

Thereafter there was no stopping, no chance for the Japanese for a look-in even. Instant badminton, no time for niceties.

Win over Tai was a confidence boost

So what had changed for the lanky Indian? Perhaps, it was her much-improved fitness. Perhaps, it was her strength-giving come-from-behind victory against Tai Tzu Ying in the quarters that worked wonders to her confidence and enabled Sindhu to switch from a more sedate rallying pattern to a go-for-the-kill approach that worked so well.

Never once did Sindhu trail in the blink-and-miss contest as the pain of losing the last two finals almost burst forth in the energy Sindhu expressed in her jump smashes and hard pushes leaving a higher-ranked Okuhara puzzled, looking lost and literally floored on several occasions.

The opening game rally was the only moment which gave some hope to Okuhara. Thereafter, Sindhu stamped her class and authority all the way. An eight-point burst saw her move into an 8-1 lead. A stunned Okhura could only earn her second point then, the 8-point surge changed the complexion of the game and set the tone for the final.

Sindhu stuck to a strategy of pushing the shuttle to the back of the court and smashing hard whenever she got an opportunity. Okuhara tried to drag her to the net but Sindhu was up to it as she retrieved quite well at the net. At 16-4 Sindhu produced a delightful crosscourt drop which kissed and moved down the net.

Okuhara tried to get as many points as possible to reduce the gap. But that did not work as Sindhu was bent upon closing the contest as fast as possible and knock her opponent out of the contest. The first game ended with a power-packed smash that almost hit Okuhara.

The second game played along the same lines. Though Okuhara tried hard to stay in the contest, Sindhu had raised her game to another level as she took her opponent by the scruff of the neck.

A scream of ecstasy and the customary handshake with the shell-shocked Okuhara followed to tell us it was all over.

MOMOTA SHOWS HIS CLASS

Japan’s Kento Momota retained the men’s title by outclassing 22-year-old Dane Anders Antonsen, who had stunned Olympic champion Chen Long in the quarterfinals, 21-9 21-3.

Singapore Open

Sindhu, Saina, Sameer enter quarterfinals

April 12, 2019: The Times of India

P V Sindhu had it easy but Saina Nehwal was tested as the two Olympic medallists entered the women’s singles quarterfinals of the USD 355,000 Singapore Open here Thursday. The fourth-seeded Sindhu, a Rio Games silver medallist, took 39 minutes to get the better of world number 22 Mia Blichfeldt 21-13 21-19, her second straight win over the Danish shuttler, who had clinched the Spain Masters earlier this year.

Sixth seed Saina, however, had to work hard in her bid to avenge a Malaysia Open first-round loss to Pornpawee Chochuwong before pulling off a thrilling 21-16 18-21 21-19 win over the Thai shuttler in the second round. The London Olympic bronze medallist will next square off against second seeded Japanese Nozomi Okuhara.

Sameer Verma continued his impressive run, beating China’s Lu Guangzu 21-15 21-18 to set up a clash with either second seeded Taipei player Chou Tien Chen or Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen. Earlier in the day, Sindhu led throughout in the first game after opening up a 3-0 advantage but in the second game, she was locked in a tight battle with Mia till 8-8. The Indian was, in fact, trailing 11-15 at one stage.

However, Sindhu managed to claw back at 17-17 and then nosed ahead to seal the issue in her favour. PTI

Sindhu in semis, Saina ousted

April 12, 2019: Sportstar

P V Sindhu survived a scare before making the semifinals but Saina Nehwal was thoroughly outplayed in her straight-game quarterfinal loss on a mixed day for India at the Singapore Open badminton tournament.

Rio Games silver-winner Sindhu defeated world No.18 and 2017 BWF World Junior Championship bronze-medallist Cai Yanyan of China 21-13 17-21 21-14 to set up a meeting with former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.

It is Sindhu’s second semifinal of the season, following a last-four finish at the India Open last month. The secondseeded Okuhara, hailing from Japan, didn’t break much sweat on her way to a 21-8 21-13 win over sixth seed Saina. Sindhu broke off at 5-5 in the opening game to earn the bragging rights but her Chinese rival came back strongly in the second game.

In the third game, Sindhu once again found her bearings and surged to a lead of 11-5 before closing out the match in the end. In contrast, Saina fell apart against the Japanese in a lop-sided clash. Okuhara was in total control of the match and didn’t allow Saina any leeway. PTI

Swiss Open: Praneeth in finals, loses to world no.2

March 18, 2019: The Times of India

Indian shuttler B Sai Praneeth settled for a runner-up finish at the Swiss Open after losing the men's singles final to top seed and world number two Shi Yuqi.

Playing his first final in almost two years, world No. 22 Praneeth lost 21-19 18-2112-21 to the Chinese in the summit clash, which lasted 68 minutes. The last time Praneeth featured in a final was which when he clinched the Thailand Open title in June 2017. Praneeth did well to win the opening game despite Yuqi making a brilliant comeback from 12-18 to 19-19. PTI

Syed Modi International

Sourabh, Rituparna Das in SFs

Nov 30, 2019: The Times of India

Sourabh Verma and Rituparna Das kept the Indian flag flying by entering the semifinals of the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships as Kidambi Srikanth crashed out on Friday. Sourabh came up with an all-round game register a creditable 21-19, 21-16 verdict against Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, while Rituparna Das prevailed over Shruti Mundada 24-26, 21-10, 21-19 in an all-Indian clash at the BBD Badminton Academy.

But, the temperamental side of Kidambi Srikanth came to the fore as he failed the clear his quarterfinal hurdle against Wan Ho Son. The Korean won the 45-minute affair 18-21, 22-20, 21-16. Making too many unforced errors, Srikanth let go the advantage after claiming the opening set. In the second also he had his chances, but Son displayed nerves of steel to win.

Thailand Open BWF Super-500 Tournament

BWF Super-500: Doubles teams reach QFs; Saina, Srikanth lose

The doubles teams progressed at the Thailand Open BWF Super-500 Tournament in Bangkok. Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and Parupalli Kashyap were knocked out in the second round while Sai Praneeth, the men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and the mixed pair of Satwik and Ashwini Ponnappa moved into the quarterfinals.

Satwik and Chirag upset world No.7 Indonesian team of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto 21-17, 21-19. This is the first victory in three meetings for the Indian boys against the formidable pair.

They will now face Koreans Choi Solgyu and Seo Seung Jae on Friday. Satwik later paired up with Ashwini to beat Alfian Prasetya and Marsheilla Gischa Islami 21-18, 21-19. The duo will square up against Japanese third seeds Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino at the last eight stage.

In singles, Sai Praneeth was the lone survivor as he got the better of compatriot Subhankar Dey 21-18, 21-19. Praneeth will face seventh seed Kanta Tsuneyama in the quarters.

Earlier, Saina lost 21-16, 11-21, 14-21 to Sayaka Takahashi of Japan. The Japanese girl started the second game with a big lead of 11-1 to edge the Indian out. Fifth seed Srikanth lost 21-11, 16-21, 12-21 to Khosit Phetpradad of Thailand.

Satwik-Chirag reach semi-finals

August 3, 2019: The Times of India

Indian challenge in Thailand Open rests with Satwik-Chirag

Hyderabad:

Teen shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the semifinals of the Thailand Open BWF Super-500 tournament in Bangkok on Friday. Indian hopes rest with them as Sai Praneeth and the mixed doubles duo of Satwik and Ashwini Ponnappa lost in the quarterfinals. Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama exacted revenge for last week’s failing by ousting Sai 21-18, 21-12.

In mixed doubles, the third-seeded Japanese pair of Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino defeated the Indian duo 21-13, 21-15. Satwik-Chirag registered a hard-fought 21-17, 17-21, 21-19 victory over Solgyu Choi and Seung Jae Seo of Korea in men’s doubles. It was a see-saw battle in the decider as lead changed hands several times. The Koreans led 19-18 before the Indians won three consecutive points to reach the semifinals. Last year the duo was knocked out in the first round.

Satwik told TOI that staying positive helped. “We are happy with our win. We were calm and focused till the last point. We were also positive and that helped us,” Satwik said.

On Saturday, the Indians will face South Korea’s Sung Hyun Ko and Baek Cheol Shin. Satwik was excited to face his favourite doubles team for the first time in his career. “We are very excited because I love their game. I used to watch their videos when I started playing doubles. We will play with the same strategy, stay calm and be positive,” Satwik said. From the top half of the draw, the Chinese pair of Jun Hui Li and Yu Chen Liu face Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe of Japan.

Satwik-Chirag first Indian men’s pair to enter final

August 4, 2019: The Times of India

Satwik-Chirag first Indian men’s pair to enter final of BWF Super 500 event

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian men’s doubles team to reach the finals of a BWF Super 500 tournament. On Saturday, they upset their heroes Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Cheol of Korea 22-20, 22-24, 21-9 to earn the right to play Chinese third seeds Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen in the final.

In all likelihood, Satwik and Chirag will also become the first Indian men’s doubles pair to break into the top-10 of the world rankings.

They were excited by their upset win. “I’m happy with our performance. Staying calm and having a positive mindset is helping us,” Satwik said and added that they are confident of doing well in the final. “We won’t do anything different tomorrow, but we are very excited to be in our first final. We are confident of doing well. We’ll give our best and make India proud,” Satwik added.

His partner Chirag described the victory as special. “Both of us have become a lot more calm and that’s the major improvement. Even though we lost the second game after having two match points, we did not lose our cool and that’s why we won the decider quite easily. Winning against Shin-Ko, the players we’ve always looked up to is very special,” Chirag said.

The Indians displayed tremendous grit and determination as they waded through tense moments. Leading 20-18, the boys faced stiff challenge in the first game. The Koreans saved two game points and were all set to clinch the tie before the Indian boys came up with two winners.

In the second, the Koreans led 18-12 but Satwik-Chirag reduced the deficit to 16-19. And when Shin-Ko were on the verge of victory at 20-16, the Indians made it 21-20. At 22-23, Chirag misjudged a service and the contest went into the decider.

In the third game, Satwik-Chirag upped the ante and at the change of the court they were 11-2. And they didn’t take long to wrap it up in their favour.

“Well pretty happy with our performances .. playing like calm cool and positive mindset is helping us a lot. We are confident about ourselves that we can pull off the match tomorrow. We won’t be doing anything different in the finals on tomorrow (Sunday) We are very excited about our first finals tomorrow and will give our best and make India proud,” Satwik said later.

Chirag, Satwik first Indian men to win BWF doubles title

M Ratnakar, August 4, 2019: The Times of India

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty register epic win to lift Thailand Open

HYDERABAD: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty etched a new chapter in the history of Indian badminton as they became the first men's doubles pair from the sub-continent to win the BWF Super-500 Tournament.

Saina Nehwal paved the way for breaching the Chinese wall, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth made even bigger dents on the reputation of the dragon and now Satwik-Chirag extended it to another category by reaching Himalayan heights.

The youngsters achieved this feat with elan as they stunned reigning world champions Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China 21-19, 18-21, 21-18 in a hard fought final that stretched beyond one hour at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok on Sunday.

This fantastic feat will help them to break into the top-10 of the world rankings, thereby making them the first Indian men's team to reach there.

Shrugging off a shoulder injury Satwik displayed brilliant anticipation and earned several points with his precise placements on the rival's front court.

Satwik, the tall shuttler from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh had to switch positions with Chirag on the all-important final day. Usually Satwik, the aggressor, plays from the back while Chirag is usually brilliant on the front and at the net.

"I have some shoulder issues so we had decided that I would play more from the front and Chirag from the back. I was focusing more on the service and the net," Satwik said.

This sudden change did not deter the Indians as the 22-year-old Mumbai shuttler came up with an outstanding effort from the back of the court.

Chirag was ecstatic after the win. "It's the biggest title we have won so far in our career. Right now I am out of words after playing in a final and beating the current world champion. I am extremely happy," he said after the victory.

Satwik, who will turn 19 next Tuesday, said that sticking to a plan and not hurrying through points helped them. "We just stuck to our plan of keeping the shuttle low and not hurrying through the points. I think this really worked and helped us. We kept our calm all throughout the tournament. Even when we were down 1-4 in the third game, we didn't lose hope. We just were steady and did not rush things to give them a bigger lead," he said.

One great trait about the Indian boys is that they are never overawed by the reputation of their rivals and it was no different when they faced the world champs on Sunday. "When we played them at the Australian Open, we lost to them very closely. We understood they were under pressure today but we had none since we were very excited to play our first final," Satwik said.

Pullela Gopichand, chief coach of the Indian team and who brought these two together, said that this win will hold them in good stead in the future.

"It's a great victory for the boys as most of the top players played in the tournament. This win will give them confidence for future. Now they can challenge any top team in the world," he said.

With just two weeks to go for the World Championships, this victory is quite significant as the Indian boys will be among the top contenders.

Satwik-Chirag rise to world no. 9

August 7, 2019: The Times of India

Satwik-Chirag duo in top-10

Hyderabad:

The sensational triumph at the Thailand Open in Bangkok on Sunday catapulted Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty to No. 9 in the world rankings, which were released by Badminton World Federation (BWF).

The duo jumped seven places to become the first Indian men’s doubles pair to crack the top 10. Breaking into the top-5 will be the priority, the shuttlers said. Even if they had lost in the final they could have breached the top-10. They are now keen to defend their title at the Hyderabad Open. Their seniors Sumeeth Reddy and Manu Attri are static at No. 25. In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth is 10th and Sameer 13th. TNN

Vietnam Open

Sourabh wins title

Sep 16, 2019: The Times of India

Sourabh pips Sun to claim Vietnam Open crown

Ho Chi Minh City:

Sourabh Verma registered a thrilling three-game win over China’s Sun Fei Xiang to claim the men’s singles title at the USD 75,000 Vietnam Open BWF Tour Super 100 badminton tournament here on Sunday. Second seed Sourabh, who has won the Hyderabad Open and Slovenian International earlier this year, recovered from a mid-game slump to beat Sun 21-12, 17-21, 21-14 in the summit clash which lasted an hour and 12 minutes.

“I am very happy with the way, I played this week. I played three Japanese and these players have similar kind of style. Most like to attack and the little differences in their style is something you have to figure out on the court. So it was nice to beat them,” Sourabh said.

He beat three Japanese shuttlers --Kodai Naraoka, Yu Igarashi and Minoru Koga -- on way to his title win. “The final was a tough match but I am happy I could play my game and come out victories. This title will give a boost to my confidence,” the Indian said. PTI

2020

All England Championships

Sindhu, Lakshya win; Saina loses

Manne Ratnakar, March 13, 2020: The Times of India

PV Sindhu moved into the quarterfinals of the All England Championships with a 21-19, 21-15 victory against Ji Hyun Sung of Korea in Birmingham. In the last-eight clash on Friday, Sindhu will face the winner of the second round match between Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark and Nozomi Okuhara.

Earlier, teen shuttler Lakshya Sen gave a good account of himself before suffering a 21-17, 21-18 defeat to Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the second round. Sai Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth and Paruapalli Kashyap bowed out.

Asia Team Championships

A

Manne Ratnakar, February 15, 2020: The Times of India

Lakshya Sen and the doubles teams emerged unlikely heroes as Indians assured themselves of a medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila.

On a day when Sai Praneeth and Kidambi Srikanth faltered in singles, Lakshya and the doubles teams of MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila and Chirag Shetty/Srikanth won their matches as India pipped Thailand 3-2 to assure themselves of their second medal at the Asian team event. Earlier, the Indian men had won bronze in 2016 in Hyderabad.

India will face Indonesia in the semifinals.

WorldNo.11Sailost21-14,14-21, 21-12 to world No.12 Kantaphon Wangcharoen, his first loss to the Thai in five meetings. World No. 15 Srikanth also lost 20-22, 14-21 to world No. 35 Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

But Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun put out Kittinupong Kedren and Tanupat Viriyangkura 21-18, 22-20 to keep India in the contest. Eighteenyear-old Lakshya then routed world No. 45 Suppanyu Avihingsanon 21-19, 21-18.

With the scores 2-2, the combination of Chirag Shetty and Srikanth overcame Maneepong Jongjit and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet 21-15, 16-21, 21-15. Though Chirag was in full flow, it was Srikanth who made the difference. An excited Chirag told ToI from Manila that he was happy to help India win. "I’m happy we got those wins for the team. It’s a historic win for Indian badminton. This is the first time we did not rely a lot on singles. The 3-2 win with both doubles teams winning is a rarity,” Chirag said.

Sai was also delighted. “Srikanth and Chirag played really well. Lakshya was impressive. It’s a team effort.”

Pullela Gopichand, chief coach, said that defeating Thailand is a credible performance. “It’s a very good win for them. Beating a team like Thailand, that too winning doubles matches is a credible show,” Gopichand said.

B: India lose in SF

Manne Ratnakar, February 16, 2020: The Times of India

India gave Indonesia a mighty scare before losing 2-3 in the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila. India and Japan will get a bronze while Indonesia and Malaysia battle for gold. Spurred on by the stunning victory of Lakshya Sen, who defeated world No. 7 Jonatan Christie 21-18, 22-20, India nearly made the final.

The world No.31 Indian comfortably won the first game but faced stiff opposition in the second. Trailing 15-19, Christie, the Asian Games champion, drew level at 19-19. However, Lakshya kept his composure to register one of the biggest victories of his career.

Earlier, Sai Praneeth retired hurt after losing the first game to Anthony Sinisuka Ginting at 6-21. “He had a mild hamstring pull at the start, so we didn’t want to risk him further,” said team physio Kiran Challagundla.

With the scores 1-1, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila gave a tough time to Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. The world No.125 Indians saved four match points before losing to the reigning world champions 10-21, 21-14, 21-23. The duo has shown plenty of promise with their exploits in this meet.

Indonesia Masters

January 15, 2020: The Times of India

World champion P V Sindhu advanced to the second round of the Indonesia Master with a hard-earned victory over Japan's Aya Ohori but defending champion Saina Nehwal suffered a shock exit from the Super 500 tournament.

It was also curtains for world championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth and Sourabh Verma.

The fifth seed Sindhu clawed back from a game down to notch up a 14-21 21-15 21-11 victory over Ohori.

Sindhu has never lost to the world No.20 Japanese in their 10 meetings so far. Ohori had lost to the Indian last week in the second round of the Malaysia Masters. The 24-year-old will take on Japan's Sayaka Takahashi, who defeated Saina, in the second round.

Saina, who won this tournament last year before going through a lean patch, lost 21-19 13-21 5-21 to Takahashi in a gruelling 50-minute contest.

The London Olympics bronze medallist had reached the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters.

World No.12 Srikanth went down to local favourite Shesar Hiren Rhustavito 21-18 12-21 14-21 in a match that lasted one hour and three minutes.

This was Srikanth's second consecutive opening-round defeat this season. He had earlier also made a first-round exit from the Malaysia Masters.

Praneeth, who like Srikanth had also been ousted in the opening round of the Malaysia Masters, lost to the eighth seeded Chinese Shi Yu Qi 21-16 18-21 10-21. Sourabh lost 21-17 15-21 10-21 to China's Lu Guang Zu.

In the mixed doubles, Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy went down in straight games to the South Korean combination of Ko Sung Hyun and Eom Hye Won 8-21 14-21.

Sindhu loses in quarters

Jakarta:

World champion shuttler P V Sindhu suffered a quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sayaka Takahashi of Japan in a closely-fought women’s singles contest to bring curtains on the Indian challenge in the Indonesia Masters.

Sindhu frittered away a one-game lead to lose 21-16 16-2119-21 in a thrilling quarterfinal match that lasted one hour and six minutes. World No. 6 Sindhu had a 4-2 head-to-head record against the 14th ranked Japanese before Thursday’s match. With the defeat of Sindhu, India’s campaign in the BWF Super 500 tournament came to an end. PTI

Junior Ranking

Sai Vishnu wins doubles title

Pratyush Raj, January 15, 2020: The Times of India

CHANDIGARH: There was a sense of excitement among the motley crowd present near the centre court at the badminton hall of the Sector 36, Sports Complex when Sai Vishnu entered.

The youngster had the name Pullela on the back of his T-shirt, and was competing in the doubles final in U-19 age-group on the concluding day of the Yonex-Sunrise All India Junior Ranking Tournament.

The sixth seeded pair of Ravikrishna PS and Sai Vishnu Pullela rallied to defeat fourth seed Gireesh Nayudu and Sankarprasad Udaykumar 18-21, 21-18, 21-16 in an evenly-contested boys U-19 doubles final match.

Interestingly, the 15-year-old Vishnu, son of chief national coach Pullela Gopichand had no intention of playing in the doubles category. He just wanted to participate in the singles, where he was ousted in the opening round. He was defeated by sixth seed Harsh Aroara 18-21, 22-20, 21-14.

Pullela Subbaravamma, Gopichand’s mother told TOI: “Vishnu was very reluctant to participate in the doubles category as he just wanted to concentrate on singles. But Ravikrishna’s partner withdrew from the tournament because of the injury. Then Gopi intervened and asked Sai Vishnu to partner Ravikrishna.”

“It was quite surprising the way they played because it is their first tournament together. Ravikrishna is a doubles players, while Sai Vishnu’s focus is on singles for the past one year. We thought that they are only going to win a couple of rounds but as the tournament progressed they improved significantly as a pair and now they have won the title. I am very happy,” added the excited grandmother.

A couple of years back, Sai Vishnu had played his first senior ranking tournament in Chandigarh. In a space of two years, he has not only grown a five or six inches taller, but has also developed a sharp attacking game, specially his net game.

“Physically, he is not as strong as the kids of his age. He reminds me so much of Gopi as he was also very wiry during his teenage years. Vishnu is a work in progress, and it’ll require a couple of years for him to become a top-class player at the national level,” said 64-year-old Subbaravamma, who is accompanying her grandson for the premier junior tournament.

In the girls U-19 singles final, third seed Mansi Singh stunned top seed Tasnim Mir by 21-17 , 21-19 in straight games to clinch the title.

It was a day of upsets as second seed Ravi defeated top seed Rohan Gurbani 21-17, 19-21, 21-8 in a grueling match, which lasted 65 minutes.

Top seed pair of Edwin Joy and Shruti Mishra outplayed Aravind Suresh and Srivedya Gurazada 21-18, 21-14 to clinch the mixed doubles title.

In the girls doubles final, Aditi Bhatt and Tanya Hemanth drubbed the pair of Shruti Mishra and Shailja Shukla 21-11, 21-9 in straight games to lift the title.

Results

Mixed doubles U-19 final: Edwin Joy (1) and Shruti Mishra bt Aravind V Suresh [4] bt Srivedya Gurazada 21-18, 21-14 Girls singles U-19 final: Mansi Singh (3) bt Tasnim Mir (1) 21-17, 21-19

Boys doubles U-19 final: Ravikrishna PS (6) and Sai Vishnu Pullela bt Gireesh Nayudu B (4) and Sankarprasad Udayakumar 18-21, 21-18, 21-16

Girls doubles U-19 final: Aditi Bhatt (2) and Tanya Hemanth bt Shruti Mishra (6) and Shailja Shukla 21-11, 21-9 Boys singles U-19 final: Ravi (2) bt Rohan Gurbani [1] 21-17, 19-21, 21-8

Malaysia Masters: Sindhu, Saina falter in quarters

PTI, January 10, 2020: The Times of India

KUALA LUMPUR: Olympic medal-winning Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal crashed out of the Malaysia Masters after being outplayed by familiar foes in the quarterfinals, ending the country's campaign.

Reigning world champion Sindhu, who took the court first on Friday, was knocked out of the Super 500 badminton tournament by top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, while Saina was shown the door by Olympic champion Spaniard Carolina Marin.

Saina was no match for Marin, who took exactly half-an-hour to dispose off the Indian's challenge 8-21 7-21.

Tzu Ying, ranked second in the world, defeated Rio Olympics silver-medallist Sindhu 21-16 21-16 in the quarterfinal, extending her head-to-head record to 12-5.

This was Sindhu's second consecutive loss to Tzu Ying. She had lost to her in the French Open quarterfinals in October last year.

Sindhu was erratic in the start, failing to capitalise on her leads and eventually lost the first game 16-21 to hand a 1-0 advantage to Tzu Ying.

In the second game, Sindhu could do little as Tzu Ying completely dominated the proceedings from start to finish.

Trailing 11-20, Sindhu saved six match points but it came too late as Tzu Ying sealed the game 21-16.

Later in the day, Saina was outplayed by Marin. Saina and Marin were 6-6 in head-to-head before Friday's match.

London Olympics bronze-medallist, Saina was on the backfoot from the word go as Marin took the lead early in the first game at 10-6 and simply outsmarted the Indian to pocket it.

In the second game, the script turned out to be the same as Saina committed a lot of unforced errors allowing Marin to easily run away with the match and a place in the semifinals.

2021

Swiss Open

Sindhu enters final; Srikanth out

Sindhu storms into final; Srikanth out Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com

PV Sindhu stormed into the finals of the Swiss Open BWF Super-300 tournament with a 22-20, 21-10 victory against Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark while Kidambi Srikanth suffered a 13-21, 19-21 loss to top seed Viktor Axelsen in the men’s singles semifinals.

Trailing 9-16, Srikanth made a splendid come back to catch up with Axelsen at 17-17 in the second game but failed to score the important points from 19-19. St Jakobshalle Basel arena, however, proved lucky for Sindhu. The Indian had won the world title here in August 2019.

Sindhu wins; Praneeth, Jayaram, Satwik-Ashwini lose QFs

Sindhu wins; Praneeth, Jayaram, Satwik-Ashwini lose in quarters: Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the Swiss Open Super 300 tournament with a straightgame win over Thai Busanan Ongbamrungphan but it turned out to be a dismal day for other Indian shuttlers in Basel on Friday. World champion Sindhu took a minute less than an hour to see off a fighting Busanan, seeded fifth, 21-16 23-21 to set up a clash with fourth seed Denmark’s fourth seed Mia Blichfeldt.

Sindhu wins siilver

Manne Ratnakar, March 8, 2021: The Times of India

Carolina Marin thrashed PV Sindhu 21-12, 21-5 to win her first Swiss Open title in Basel.

The Olympic champion toyed with the world champion at the BWF Super-300 tournament. Such was the

dominance of the Spaniard that the Indian managed to win just five points in the second game. Of all the five finals on Sunday, this was the biggest margin of victory.

With no Japanese, Chinese and even Tai Tzu Ying in the tournament, Sindhu had an easy run to the final. But her form was exposed in her first meeting with a top-10 player in this tournament.

She was in the game only till 8-9 in the first. Thereafter, the top-seeded Spaniard set a frenetic pace, controlled the rallies and reigned supreme at the net.

Sindhu, surprisingly, struggled to play from the back of the court as Marin moved the Indian all over.

From 9-8, Marin zoomed to 15-8. She attacked Sindhu with an array of smashes and her cross-court drives near the net puzzled the Indian.

The second game lasted just 15 minutes. Marin started with a 5-0 lead and before Sindhu scored the first three points, Marin was up 14-3.

There was no coming back and as the Indian looked clueless on court, Marin sealed the match with another crosscourt drop.

Thailand Open BWF Super-1000

Manne Ratnakar, January 24, 2021: The Times of India

The Indian challenge came to an end after the doubles teams lost their semifinal matches in the Thailand Open BWF Super-1000 tournament in Bangkok on Saturday. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa lost the mixed doubles semi to top seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand 20-22, 21-18, 12-21. Earlier, Satwik and Chirag Shetty had lost the men’s doubles semi 21-18, 21-18 to Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.

The mixed duo gave a good account of themselves by stretching the Thai team that won the Super-1000 tournament last week.

In the first game, Satwik-Ashwini saved three game points at 17-20 before losing. In the second they came back from 9-12 and 12-15 to win it but lost steam in the decider.

While Satwik was at his attacking best, Ashwini moved well and they managed to win a game against this Thai pair for the first time. “We played one of the best matches of our careers against these top players,” said Satwik after the mixed defeat.

“We made crucial mistakes, starting with my serve and then we lost points one after the other from there,” Ashwini said.

In men’s doubles, the unseeded Indians faltered against the eighth-seeded Malaysians. In the first game, Satwik and Chirag followed their rivals until 15-16. Thereafter the Malaysians widened the gap to 19-15.

See also

Pages on individual stars like

Kidambi Srikanth,

Pullela Gopichand,

PV Sindhu,

Saina Nehwal.