Kidambi Srikanth has made a strong start at the 2021 BWF World Championships in Spain. The event is currently taking place in Huelva at the Deportes Carolina Marín, running from December 12th through the 19th. This year's competition is huge, bringing together 324 players from 49 nations. In his Sunday opener, Srikanth managed to defeat the home-crowd favorite, Pablo Abian. The former world number one showed his class, winning in straight games (21-12, 21-16) in a match that lasted just 36 minutes.
Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth got off to a good start at the 2021 BWF World Championships in Spain. The 2021 BWF World Championships is held from 12th to 19th December at Deportes Carolina Marín in Huelva, Spain. A total of 324 competitors from 49 nations take part in the World championships event. Srikanth defeated the home favorite Pablo Abian in the opening round on Sunday. Former world no.1 Srikanth outplayed Abain in straight games 21-12, 21-16 to advance into the second round. Srikanth took just 36 minutes to ease past Abian.
Srikanth is now set to face Li Shi Feng from China in the second round of the Men's singles category. As the 12th seed, Srikanth dictated the pace of the match from start to finish, effectively shutting down Abian's late attempts to comeback. While Abian showed more resilience in the second game, Srikanth's superior footwork and powerful cross-court smashes ensured he stayed ahead.
The day took a turn for the worse for India later on, as Sai Praneeth failed to advance past the first round. In a nail-biting match, Praneeth fell to the Netherlands' Mark Caljouw. Praneeth looked the stronger player in the opening set, but Caljouw fought back tenaciously to claim the victory with a final score of 21-17, 7-21, 18-21.
This loss is particularly stinging as Praneeth had previously been beaten by Caljouw at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Praneeth holds a significant place in Indian badminton history, being the first Indian man since Prakash Padukone in 1983 to secure a bronze medal at the World Championships back in 2019. In this encounter, Caljouw played with great confidence to take the second set. Although Praneeth seemed to have the upper hand during the deciding game, Caljouw's clinical net play in the closing moments sealed the win.
Other Indian entries also struggled earlier in the day. In women's doubles, the pair of Pooja Dandu and Sanjana Santosh were forced to retire after losing the first game 12-21 to the Dutch duo of Alyssa Tirtosentono and Imke van der Aar. Meanwhile, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy were eliminated in the men's doubles opening round by Denmark's Joel Elpe and Rasmus Kjaer. The Danish pair won convincingly in straight games, 21-16 and 21-15, ending the Indians' tournament run in just 32 minutes.
All eyes are now on PV Sindhu, India's most promising competitor and the defending champion. She will begin her quest to retain the title against Martina Repiska of Slovakia. As the sole female representative for India in the singles event, the reigning champion has received a first-round bye.