Veteran Indian shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy rolled back the years to reach the men’s singles second round at the India Open 2026, while 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma impressed despite an opening-round loss in the women’s singles at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday.Former world No.1 Srikanth and the experienced Prannoy both overcame younger opponents in contrasting but equally gritty performances at the BWF World Tour Super 750 event, organised by the Badminton Association of India.
Srikanth, 32, recovered from a slow start to beat compatriot Tharun M 15-21, 21-6, 21-19, while 33-year-old Prannoy defeated Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, last year’s runner-up, 22-20, 21-18.Prannoy’s victory was particularly significant, coming after a difficult 2025 marred by fitness issues. He earned a place in the main draw following the withdrawal of world No.3 Anders Antonsen of Denmark and made full use of the opportunity. Ranked 38th in the world, Prannoy showed resilience by saving two game points in the opening game and used his powerful down-the-line smashes and patience in rallies to wear down Lee. He will now face former world champion and eighth seed Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, who beat China’s Wang Zheng Xing 23-21, 19-21, 21-14.Srikanth, who is playing his first Super 750 event since Singapore in May 2025, looked out of rhythm early and dropped the opening game. However, he dominated the second game and relied on his experience in the decider. Trailing 17-19, Srikanth produced a brilliant spell at the net to win four consecutive points and close out the match in 53 minutes. He will next face France’s Christo Popov.In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod was the only Indian to progress, defeating Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-19. Two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion PV Sindhu, however, was knocked out after losing 20-22, 21-12, 21-15 to Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen.Teenager Tanvi Sharma, a world junior championships silver medallist, showcased her promise against second seed Wang Zhi Yi of China. Playing her first Super 750 event, Tanvi pushed the Chinese star to three games but lost 20-22, 21-18, 21-13 after missing a game point in the opener and tiring in the decider.
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