India’s senior shuttler Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the men’s singles second round with a stunning victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen, but HS Prannoy was unable to advance in the French Open Super 750 badminton event, which began on Wednesday. Srikanth, the world No.24 racing against time to qualify for the Paris Olympics, defeated 14th-ranked Chen 21-15, 20-22, 21-8 in a 66-minute first-round match, his third victory over the Taiwanese shuttler in seven meetings.
In the next round, Srikanth, the 2021 world championships silver medalist, will face China’s world No.17 Lu Guang Zu, who halted India’s HS Prannoy’s campaign with a solid 21-17, 21-17 win in the Arena Porte de la Chapelle.
Srikanth was by much the superior player, coming back from 5-7 down to win 14 of the next 17 points to claim the bragging rights. However, Chen produced a comeback in the second game and managed to keep his nose ahead in time to push the match to a decider after a torturous fight of nerves. After switching sides, Srikanth was again in his element, as he scored nine straight points from 7-5 to put Chen far behind. The Taiwanese scored three points before the Indian slammed the door in his face with the final five.
In the adjacent court, Prannoy appeared to be on his way to glory, only to collapse as Guang Zu grabbed the spotlight. Prannoy took a 5-2 lead early in the first game, and while Guang Zu rallied with three points, the Indian immediately switched gears to reclaim a three-point lead at the break. The duo battled in some intense rallies, with Prannoy keeping things tight for the most part. The Chinese, on the other hand, continued to close in on the Indian, keeping him within two points while waiting for an opening.
It ultimately arrived when Prannoy’s backhand hit the net as the Chinese stormed back to 16-16 before Prannoy erred once more. Guang Zu then won the first game by making a fast return on his opponent’s backhand. Prannoy had a shaky start in the second game, falling behind 0-3 early. But Prannoy drew level at 6-6 with a couple of winners, including a down-the-line smash on Guang Zu’s forehand.
However, he also missed the lines, going long and wide a few times, and the Chinese profited from his mistakes to take an 11-7 lead at the break. The Indian did win three consecutive points to keep hopes alive, but the Chinese took three match points with a smash on his forehand and sealed it with another crisp return on the forecourt.
