All England Open Badminton Championships Day 3 Roundup: Sen, Prannoy, and Srikanth knocked out, Jolly/Gopichand reached quarters
It was a terrible outing for Indian badminton as all three contenders in Men’s singles bowed out in the Round of 16. Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy and Srikanth Kidambi, all of them lost their match to end India’s hopes for a title in Men’s singles.
Earlier in the tournament, PV Sindhu crashed out in the opening round of the Women’s singles whereas Saina Nehwal decided to step back from the tournament. There were hopes for a title from the duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy in Men’s Doubles, however, they too lost their next battle against the Chinese pair of Liang and Wang.
Here’s a look at the Day 3 matches:
Men’s Singles
Srikanth Kidambi vs Kodai Naraoka
Undoubtedly, Kodai Naraoka was a tough opponent for the Indian star but there was hardly any intent shown from Srikanth. He lost the match 17-21, 15-21 in straight sets to end his campaign in Round 2. He was fine in the opening game but looked like he accepted defeat in the next game at one point.
Hopes were high on a player like Srikanth but it tells us how big and prestigious this tournament is looking at the champions playing from around the world. The experienced Srikanth would like to be back at his best in the next tournament.
Lakshya Sen vs Anders Antonsen
A player like Lakshya Sen is known to give a tough fight in every match he plays but this time the scenario was completely different. He lost in straight sets 13-21, 15-21 to the Danish baddie Anders Antonsen.
Lakshya Sen crashed out of the tournament in the second round
Sen was a runner-up in the previous edition of the All-England Open which was a fantastic achievement for the young lad, however, this time he failed to live up to the expectations of his fans He was the top contender for the title this time but with his exit now, hopes are quite bleak for any of the categories.
HS Prannoy vs Anthony Sinisuka Ginting
HS Prannoy was the only one from the Men’s singles category who played fearless badminton in the second round. His match went to the third set but unfortunately, the Indian shuttler lost the hard-fought match in the end by 20-22, 21-15, 17-21.
After losing the first game, Prannoy made a terrific comeback to level the scores. Both the shuttlers were going at the same pace but in the end, it was Ginting who proved to be a better player.
Men’s Doubles
Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Liang Weikang and Wang Chang
Chirag and Satwik make one of the best pairs in the world currently but their exit like this has broken millions of hearts. After a phenomenal display in the opening game, the duo were on the back seat in the next two, hence losing it in the third set.
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were eliminated in the second round of the tournament
The iconic pair lost the battle 21-10, 17-21, 19-21 to make an early exit this time. After the first game, it looked like they would finish it in style in the next game but the way the Chinese pair made a comeback was tremendous. Now, the Indian duo would want to forget this tournament at the earliest and start preparing for the upcoming one.
Women’s Doubles
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirot
The only Indian pair who was victorious on Day 3, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were terrific throughout. They won the battle 21-14, 24-22 to move to the quarterfinals. After winning the opening game easily, the duo had to work hard to grab the second one as it went down to the wire.
Some phenomenal displays from both helped India reach the quarters in this category. Their next battle would be crucial for them as it is against the Chinese pair of Liu Shengshu and Li Wenmei. If they could earn a victory here, then the possibility of creating history will be on the cards.
What’s on Day 4?
The quarter-final stage beckons now as famous names like Anders Antonsen and Anthony Ginting go head-to-head in an interesting match-up with big names like Victor Axelsen, Sen, and Srikanth knocked out on Thursday only.
In Women’s Singles, Carolina Marin will face second-seed Korean shuttler An Se-young whilst Akane Yamaguchi, Tai-tzu Ying, and He Bingjao are also in action.
With everyone being eliminated apart from the pair of Jolly and Gopichand, Day 4 will witness only one match from India’s perspective in the Women’s doubles category. Jolly and Gopichand will face Liu Shengshu and Li Wenmei of China in the quarterfinals.