At the ongoing badminton competition at the Asian Games, top Indian badminton stars HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu delivered commendable straight-game victories, ensuring their spots in the men's and women's singles pre-quarterfinals respectively.
The World no. 7 shuttler, HS Prannoy, made a strong comeback to the court after missing out on the men's team championships final against China due to a back injury. Displaying a masterclass performance, Prannoy effortlessly defeated Mongolia's Batdavaa Munkhbat with a scoreline of 21-9, 21-12, wrapping up the match in a swift 25 minutes. Awaiting him in the next round will be either Jordan's Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik or Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Panarin.
On the other hand, former world champion PV Sindhu showcased her top form, registering a victory of 21-10, 21-15 against world no. 21, We Chi Hsu from Chinese Taipei. This was a rematch following their face-off at the Asia Badminton Championships in Dubai earlier this month. Sindhu's next challenge in the tournament will be either Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani or Hong Kong's Liang Ka Wing.
During the match, Sindhu established an early lead of 7-5 in the opening game. Demonstrating precision and control, she engaged Hsu in long rallies, leveraging her exceptional tosses and clears. She quickly extended her lead to 11-6 and further to 15-6. Capitalizing on a mistake by Hsu, Sindhu secured 10 game points. Although she missed one, she clinched the game when Hsu's return went long.
The second game presented a more intense competition. Sindhu was quick to set the pace, attempting to confine her opponent to the back court and taking an early lead of 4-2. Hsu, however, remained resilient, clawing her way back with an angled smash to bring the score to 8-7. After leveling at 9-9, Hsu managed to stay competitive, but Sindhu managed to take a slight lead going into the interval. Building on her momentum, Sindhu extended her lead to 18-14. With a strategic backhand return, she was soon at game point, and eventually wrapped up the contest confidently.
With these performances, both Prannoy and Sindhu have established their strong intent in the tournament, and fans eagerly await their forthcoming matches. Their progress highlights India's growing stature in international badminton competitions.
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