Hong Kong: The mixed doubles team of B. Sumeeth Reddy and N. Sikki Reddy has advanced to the second round of the Hong Kong Open. The Indian duo delivered a strong performance in their first-round match, defeating compatriots Tarun Kona and Sri Krishna Priya Kudravalli with a decisive score of 21-9, 21-10. The match lasted just 22 minutes, showcasing their dominance on the court. They will now face the eighth-seeded pair, Masgoh Soon Huat and Lei Shewan Jamie, in the next round.
Despite the success of Sumeeth and Sikki, other Indian players faced setbacks. Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Takuma Obayashi from Japan with scores of 9-21, 21-16, 9-21. In men’s singles, Kiran George was defeated by Soo Lee Yang of Chinese Taipei, with a scoreline of 16-21, 16-21. In women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap fell to fifth-seeded Aya Ohori of Japan, and Tanya Hemant lost to Komang Ayu Cahaya Devi from Indonesia.
Vietnam Tournament Highlights
Indian players also had notable performances at the tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In men’s singles, Alap Mishra, Tarun Manepalli, and Bharat Raghav made it to the pre-quarterfinals. Alap Mishra had a significant victory over top-seeded Indian player Satish Kumar Karunakaran, winning 21-16, 20-22, 21-13. Tarun Manepalli overcame Chinese Taipei’s Ting Yen Yen with a score of 15-21, 21-17, 21-18, and Bharat Raghav defeated fifth-seeded Meiraba Luwang Meisnam 21-19, 20-22, 21-16.
In women’s singles, Isharani Barua and Rakshitha Sri Santosh Ramraj advanced to the second round. Isharani, who was part of India’s Uber Cup team this year, beat second seed Anupama Upadhyay 21-7, 17-21, 21-15. Rakshitha triumphed over sixth-seeded Rachel Chan with scores of 21-13, 22-20. However, Ashi Rawat, Tasnim Mir, and Shriyanshi Valishetty were knocked out in the first round.
In mixed doubles, several Indian pairs advanced, including top seeds Satish and Aadya Variyath, sixth seeds Dhruv Kapil and Tania Crasto, and the teams of Boka Navneet and Ritika Thakkar, and Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra. Additionally, Prithvi Krishnamurthy Rai and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala reached the pre-quarterfinals in men’s doubles.
These performances highlight the growing strength and competitiveness of Indian badminton players on the international stage.
