Jakarta, Jan 22: India’s top shuttlers began their Indonesia Masters Super 500 campaign on a positive note, with PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen advancing to the second round of the tournament here on Wednesday.Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu battled past her first-round opponent in a competitive women’s singles match to secure her place in the next stage. The Indian star showcased her experience and composure to close out the match in straight games, setting up a tougher test in the upcoming round.
Seventh seed Lakshya Sen also made a winning start to his tournament, overcoming his challenger in a three-game men’s singles match. Sen, who has been in good form this season, closed out the deciding game to move into round two, where he will face another competitor in his quest for a deeper run.
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth joined his compatriots in progressing, grinding out a hard-fought victory to reach the second round as well. He now prepares for a challenging clash against a higher-ranked rival.
Among other Indians, Anmol Kharb enjoyed a straight-games win to also enter the next round, continuing a strong start for the Indian contingent. However, several players including Ayush Shetty, HS Prannoy and Kiran George were knocked out in their respective first-round matches.
India’s mixed doubles pairs were unable to progress, exiting the competition early after defeats in their opening matches.
The tournament continues with India’s seeds looking to build momentum as they chase valuable ranking points and silverware in Jakarta.