Indian badminton heavyweights PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of the women’s and men’s singles, respectively, with dominant wins at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
Chasing an unprecedented third Olympic medal, Sindhu did not have to toil much before getting past Kristin Kuuba of Estonia 21-5, 21-10 in her second and last Group M match.
World No. 19 Lakshya also kept the gold in sight as he notched up a sensational win over Indonesia’s world no. 4 Jonatan Christie. The 22-year-old thrashed the reigning All England and Asian champion 21-18, 21-12. Prannoy, who had recovered from a bout of chikungunya to compete in his maiden Olympics, staved off a spirited challenge from Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat.
“I think it was a tough match today (Wednesday), happy with the way I played,” he said. “Yes, definitely (gold is in sight). I think the last few months the form has been really good. There have been ups and downs, but overall, I was in good shape.”
The only time Lakshya had defeated Christie was four years ago at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. However, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist quite literally turned on the style on Wednesday.
One particular shot that left everyone, including Christie, stunned was a jaw-dropping behind-the-back return.
An instinctive stroke, common on the international circuit, that the Almora youth pulled off at a crucial juncture made all the difference.
Leading 19-18, during a rally, the Indonesian rushed to the net and put the shuttle away on the Indian’s backhand. Lakshya didn’t bat an eyelid or changed his position much, and managed to play that outrageous shot with the help of his power wrist as the shuttle lopped across the net.
Lakshya will next face world No. 13 Prannoy, who squandered the opening game but got his act together in time to notch up a 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 over the world No. 70 Le.
Sindhu is likely to be up against world no. 9 He Bingjiao. In 20 matches, the Chinese is up 11-9 but it’s also her that Sindhu beat in Tokyo on way to her bronze medal in 2021.
Seeing off Kuuba in 33 minutes, Sindhu, seeking to become the first Indian to win three Olympic medals, said: “It was important for me to top the group. I would be playing against He Bingjiao mostly. I hope I take this confidence and go forward. It’s not going to be easy, so I have to be prepared and be 100 per cent.”
PTI
