India had a mixed outing at the Thailand Open on Wednesday, with P.V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth advancing to the second round in contrasting styles, while youngster Ayush Shetty bowed out after a battling performance.
Former world champion Sindhu made a dominant start to her campaign, brushing aside Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong 21-9, 21-12 in just 33 minutes. The sixth seed dictated terms from the outset, combining sharp placement with aggressive movement to register one of her quickest wins of the season.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist still chasing her first BWF World Tour title since the 2024 Syed Modi International, will next face Denmark’s Amalie Schulz in their maiden meeting.
Srikanth also looked in fine touch as he defeated Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-14, 21-15 in a rematch of the 2021 World Championships final to move into the round of 16.
The former world No. 1, who won the Thailand Open in 2013, maintained control throughout and did not allow the eighth seed to settle despite a brief fightback in the second game. He will now face Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang for a place in the quarter-finals.
Ayush Shetty, however, went down fighting against Japan’s sixth seed Kodai Naraoka in a three-game contest. Despite entering with a 2-1 head-to-head advantage, the Indian bounced back strongly after dropping the first game to level the match. But Naraoka dominated the decider with relentless retrievals and pace to seal a 21-13, 17-21, 21-4 win in 59 minutes.
Elsewhere, teenage sensation Unnati Hooda pulled off a major upset, defeating home favourite Pornpawee Chochuwong 11-21, 21-17, 21-16.
In another upset in the women’s singles, 19-year-old Anmol Kharb came close to toppling reigning champion Chen Yu Fei but eventually went down 19-21, 21-13, 21-18 after leading 11-2 in the decider.
Tharun Mannepalli’s campaign also ended in straight games against Japan’s Koki Watanabe.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag, Malvika Bansod and Isharani Baruah are scheduled to be in action in singles, while three Indian pairs will also compete in mixed doubles.
-IANS
