During the Round of 16 at the World Badminton Championships in Budapest this past Thursday, India's HS Prannoy overcame Singapore's former champion Loh Kean Yew in a three-set match. This victory ensures that India's leading singles player reaches the quarter-finals for the third straight year. Although the quarter-final stage has been a ceiling for him previously, Prannoy is currently in peak form and aiming to advance further. His next hurdle on Friday is a high-stakes clash with the Olympic champion, Viktor Axelsen.
After shaking off a slump midway through the match, Prannoy emerged victorious with a score of 21-18, 15-21, 21-19. Even with strapping on his left shoulder, he maintained high energy levels throughout. The Malaysia Masters champion, who also reached the finals of the Australian Open this year, employed a high-pressure attacking game, consistently delivering jump smashes under the guidance of coach Pullela Gopichand.
Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen fought hard but was unable to overcome the third seed, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, losing in three games. The world number 11 dropped the opening set 14-21 but showed resilience by winning the second to push the match into a decider. It was a blur of speed on the court, with both the 22-year-old and Vitidsarn moving with lightning agility. While the final game was intensely contested, the Thai player surged ahead after the final interval, scoring six consecutive points to clinch his spot in the quarter-finals.
In the men's doubles category, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought back from behind to secure a dramatic win over Indonesia's Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin, advancing them to the quarter-finals. India's top pair is now just one victory away from improving upon the bronze medal they earned at last year's championships. Despite a shaky start, they regained their composure and played with much better discipline as the match unfolded.
After recovering from a setback in the second game, Satwik and Chirag successfully pushed through to the quarter-finals. The world number two duo is scheduled to face 11th seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen today, August 25, for a chance to enter the semi-finals. Having already captured four tour titles this season—including a major win at the Indonesia Open—the pair is eyeing another global medal before they compete in the Asian Games.
The results were less favorable in the women's doubles, where the promising Indian pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Jolly Treesa were knocked out in the Round of 32. They faced a tough defeat (14-21, 9-21) in a 42-minute match against the top-seeded Chinese powerhouse duo, Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, who are three-time champions.