Singapore, May 28 (IANS) India’s campaign at the Singapore Open gathered significant momentum on Thursday, with four entries confirmed in the quarterfinals across singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles, highlighted by commanding performances from PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, and gritty comeback wins from the country’s doubles combinations.
The biggest statement once again came from Sindhu, who continued her impressive resurgence with another clinical display in women’s singles. The two-time Olympic medallist dismantled Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 in only 37 minutes to storm into the last eight. Having already knocked out Indonesian fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani earlier in the tournament, Sindhu barely allowed Gunji any rhythm, controlling the pace of rallies from the outset and maintaining relentless pressure throughout both games.
The Indian star now faces her toughest challenge yet against reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young. Sindhu has yet to register a victory against the Korean in eight previous meetings.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen progressed under unusual circumstances after Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn was forced to retire almost immediately after the match began. Only two points had been played before the Paris Olympic silver medallist pulled out, sending Lakshya through to the quarterfinals with minimal time spent on court. Lakshya will next take on Japan’s Koki Watanabe for a place in the semi-finals.
India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were pushed hard before overcoming Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 in a fluctuating contest. The fourth-seeded Indians looked dominant while taking the opening game, but lost control completely in the second as the Taiwanese pair dictated the tempo and forced a decider.
Satwik and Chirag, however, regained composure at crucial moments in the third game to maintain their unbeaten record against the pair, extending their head-to-head advantage to 7-0. Awaiting them in the quarter-finals are Malaysia’s Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing, the same duo who ended the Indians’ campaign at the All England Open earlier this season.
The most dramatic turnaround of the day came in mixed doubles, where Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila recovered from a disastrous opening game to produce a memorable comeback victory. The Indian pair were thoroughly outplayed in the opener against Japan’s Maya Taguchi and Yuta Watanabe, losing 8-21 in just over 10 minutes.
But the momentum shifted sharply thereafter as Dhruv and Tanisha tightened their defence, attacked the net more aggressively, and gradually wore down the Japanese pair to win the next two games 21-17, 21-16. The victory marked a timely boost for the Indian combination after a difficult run of results in recent tournaments. Their next assignment, however, will be a stern examination against Malaysian third seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.
HS Prannoy faced disappointment after a tough three-game match against Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew. Prannoy lost 18-21, 21-16, 15-21, after losing a promising lead in the final game of their 61-minute contest.
He began the match strongly, leading 11-7 in the first game, but Loh gradually gained control by tightening his shots and forcing Prannoy into difficult defensive positions. Despite saving four game points, Prannoy couldn’t prevent Loh from winning the first game when a wide shot from Prannoy clinched the set for Loh.
Prannoy delivered a strong performance in the second game despite the challenging drift inside the arena. He consistently targeted Loh’s forehand and exploited loose returns to gain control, ultimately forcing a decider with a precise cross-court winner.
The pivotal moment occurred late in the third game. Prannoy appeared poised to complete the comeback after building a 14-11 lead, but a sudden spree of unforced net errors allowed Loh to dramatically turn the tide. The Singaporean won 10 of the following 11 points, riding the home crowd’s energy and securing victory on his first match point.
Despite Prannoy’s exit, India concluded the day with a robust presence in various categories, as Sindhu, Lakshya, Satwik-Chirag, and Tanisha-Dhruv all advanced to the quarter-finals of the Super 750 tournament.
--IANS
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