Japan Open 2023: HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth begin campaign on strong note in Super 750 tournament
By India Today Sports Desk: India shuttlers got off to a strong start in the Japan Open Super 750 tournament in Tokyo on Tuesday, July 25. HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth clinched impressive victories while the women’s doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Jolly Treesa also moved to the second round.
The tournament, held at Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium, saw both Prannoy and Srikanth defeat higher-ranked opponents, marking a promising start to their campaign.
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, currently ranked 20th, showcased his prowess by defeating world No. 8 Chou Tien-Chen from Chinese Taipei. The match, which lasted 43 minutes, ended with a decisive 21-13, 21-13 victory for Srikanth. This marked his second win over Chou in their eight meetings.
HS Prannoy, the eighth seed and 10th in the badminton rankings, also made his mark by defeating world No. 7 and reigning All England champion Li Shi Feng of the Republic of China. The match, which spanned 49 minutes, was Prannoy’s third consecutive win over the Chinese shuttler.
Srikanth and Prannoy are now set to face each other in the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF Super 750 tournament.
GAYATRI AND JOLLY PROGRESS
However, the tournament wasn’t all victories for the Indian contingent. In the women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap faced a tough defeat against top-ranked Japanese shuttler Akane Yamaguchi. Despite a spirited performance, Kashyap lost 21-17, 21-17 in a match that lasted 34 minutes.
On a brighter note, the women’s doubles saw a comeback victory for the Indian duo of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. They defeated the Japanese pair of Sayaka Hobara and Yui Suizu with a score of 11-21, 21-15, 21-14, advancing to the pre-quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the likes of PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen along with Korea Open champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will open their campaigns in Japan Open on Wednesday, July 26. Notably, Lakshya will face compatriot Priyanshu Rajawat while 17th-ranked Sindhu has a tricky test against World No. 18 Zhang Yi Man of China.
The Japan Open 2023 is a significant event as the results will count towards players’ qualifying rankings for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
