PV Sindhu, a decorated Olympian with two medals to her name, successfully advanced to the second round of the women's singles event at the prestigious All England Championships. However, her compatriots HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth faced early exits in the men's singles category.
Sindhu, ranked 11th globally and a former world champion, demonstrated her prowess by clinching the first game 21-10 against her German opponent, Li Yvonne Li, who then retired from the match. This allowed Sindhu a smooth passage into the next round of the competition.
The 28-year-old from Hyderabad is anticipated to clash with top-seeded Korean An Se Young in the subsequent round, a formidable opponent whom Sindhu has struggled against in their previous encounters. An Se Young, currently the world No. 1, has dominated their matchups, with Sindhu managing to win only one game in their past encounters.
An Se Young, recovering from a recent knee injury, showcased her resilience by securing her second title of the season at the French Open. Sindhu displayed her dominance early in the match against Li, swiftly building a lead and eventually clinching the game as her opponent faltered under pressure.
In the men's singles category, it was a disappointing outcome for world No. 8 Prannoy, who failed to capitalize on an early advantage and succumbed to a 21-14 13-21 13-21 defeat against Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei. Similarly, Srikanth faced a tough challenge against top seed Viktor Axelsen, losing 9-21 9-21, narrowing India's hopes in the men's singles to Lakshya Sen and Priyanshu Rajawat.
Sen, aged 23, is set to compete against Denmark's Magnus Johannesen in the upcoming round. Unfortunately, Aakarshi Kashyap also bowed out in the opening round, suffering a defeat against Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei.
The duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are slated to compete against Indonesia's Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti later in the day, aiming to keep India's flag flying high in the prestigious tournament.
