Defending champions India advanced to the Thomas Cup knockout stage with a 5-0 victory over England in a Group C match on Monday in Chengdu. Team India, who defeated Thailand 4-1 in their opening tie, advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in a row. HS Prannoy returned to winning ways, defeating Harry Huang in straight games 21-15, 21-15, giving India a 1-0 lead.
To give a start to the team is really important, it gives a good boost to the team to go ahead. It is really important to finish off the matches clinically, you saw against Thailand one match was bad for us. So, it’s important to finish off the matches clinically, the 31-year-old Prannoy said after winning his match.
Ben Lane and Sean Vendy stretched India’s star pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to three games in the first doubles match until the 2022 world championship bronze medalists won 21-17, 19-21, 21-15 in one hour and five minutes. Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth defeated Nadeem Dalvi 21-16, 21-11 to give India a commanding 3-0 lead.
Happy with the way both the matches have gone for me in the tournament. There is a lot of pressure on players to win games. I feel I have played a little easier opponent so far. But from now we will face better opponents and I have to be my best, Srikanth said. I’m playing well but not able to pull off the matches. Obviously, people will compare how I was playing from 2021-2022. I was in my 20s then, Srikanth added on his recent form.
India’s second doubles pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila then defeated Rory Easton and Alex Green 21-17, 21-19 to make it 4-0. In the final encounter, 24-year-old Kiran George brushed aside Cholan Kayan in straight games 21-18, 21-12. On Wednesday (May 1), Team India will play its final group match against group leaders and 14-time champions Indonesia.
Earlier, the Indian women’s team advanced to the quarterfinals of the BWF Thomas and Uber Cup 2024 with a convincing 4-1 victory over Singapore in their Group A match in Chengdu, China. This remarkable success follows their previous victory over Canada by the same scoreline, setting a strong tone for their tournament. India faces formidable China in their final group match on Tuesday (April 30), hoping to extend their winning streak and secure a favorable position in the knockout stages.
