New Delhi, Jan 14 (NationPress) Former titleholder Kidambi Srikanth and seasoned player H.S. Prannoy outperformed their younger adversaries to move on to the second round of the men’s singles at the India Open 2026. The 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma showcased her skills with a commendable effort against the second seed Wang Zhi Yi from China during the first round of women's singles.

The 32-year-old Srikanth rebounded from a shaky start to defeat compatriot Tharun M with scores of 15-21, 21-6, 21-19. Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Prannoy triumphed over last year's runner-up Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong with a scoreline of 22-20, 21-18, in the opening round of the BWF World Tour Super 750 event hosted by the Badminton Association of India at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Additionally, Malvika Bansod was the sole other Indian to progress to the second round on Wednesday, defeating Pai Yu Po from Chinese Taipei with scores of 21-18, 21-19 in the women’s singles.

The world junior championships silver medalist Tanvi Sharma almost pulled off an upset against the second seed Wang, but failed to convert a game point in the first game and eventually lost 20-22, 21-18, 21-13 after an hour and nine minutes.

SINDHU ELIMINATED

Former World Champion PV Sindhu faced elimination after losing 20-22, 21-12, 21-15 to Thuy Linh Nguyen from Vietnam in her opening round match.

However, the spotlight was on Prannoy and Srikanth, two veteran competitors eager to re-establish their presence on the BWF World Tour after a challenging year in 2025. Prannoy, who dealt with fitness issues throughout 2025, secured his spot in the India Open 2026 following the withdrawal of World No. 3 Anders Antonsen from Denmark and capitalized on the opportunity to defeat Lee.

The World No. 38 showcased quick smashes and prolonged rallies to frustrate his opponent, saving two game points in the first game and delivering powerful down-the-line smashes to win in straight sets. He now prepares for a second-round showdown against former world champion and eighth seed Loh Kean Yew from Singapore, who bested China’s Wang Zheng Xing 23-21, 19-21, 21-14.

“Winning any round is a great feeling, especially playing in a Super 750 event. My focus was on enjoying the game regardless of the outcome,” Prannoy shared post-match.

Srikanth, who had not participated in a Super 750 event since May 2025, faced initial struggles against Tharun but dominated the second game to force a decider, where his experience proved crucial.

Trailing for much of the final game, Srikanth found himself down 19-17 before executing brilliant net play that allowed him to secure four consecutive points to clinch the match in 53 minutes.

“It was a challenging match that could have gone either way. A few points made a significant difference,” remarked Srikanth, who will now face Christo Popov, the BWF World Tour Finals winner from France, in the next round.

Earlier, Tanvi demonstrated why she’s regarded as the future star of Indian badminton, fiercely competing against Wang in her first BWF Super 750 event. She had a game point against Wang but unfortunately hit a wide shot. Despite her valiant effort to claim the second game, fatigue ultimately hindered her performance in the decider.

Important Results:

Men’s Singles: 2-Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) bt Koki Watanabe (Jpn) 21-19, 23-25, 21-10; 5-Christo Popov (Fra) bt Wang Tzu Wei (Tpe) 13-21, 21-18, 21-19; K Srikanth bt Tharun M 15-21, 21-6, 21-19; 3-Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt Jia Heng Jason Teh (Sin) 21-16, 21-10; 8-Loh Kean Yew (Sin) bt Wang Zheng Xing (Chn) 23-21, 19-21, 21-14; HS Prannoy bt Lee Cheuk Yiu (HKG) 22-20, 21-18

Women’s Singles: 2-Wang Zhi Yi (Chn) bt Tanvi Sharma 22-20, 18-21, 21-13; Thuy Linh Nguyen (Vie) bt PV Sindhu 20-22, 21-12, 21-15; 1-AN Se Young (Kor) bt Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 21-17, 21-9; Malvika Bansod bt Pai Yu Po (Tpe) 21-18, 21-19; 5-Han Yue (Chn) bt Sung Shuo Yun (Tpe) 18-21, 21-13, 21-17

Women’s Doubles: Nanako Hara/Riko Kiyose (Jpn) bt Rutuparna Panda/Swetaparna Panda 21-8, 21-18; Ha Na Baek/So Hee Lee (Kor) bt Gayatri Rawat/Mansa Rawat 21-5, 21-8

Mixed Doubles: Pakkapol Teeraratsakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto 21-15, 21-14; Marvin Seidel/Thuc Phuong Nguyen (Ger) bt Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde 21-19, 21-14; Tyuichi Shimogami/Sayaka Hobara (JPN) bt Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh 21-15, 21-7