The Thailand Masters badminton tournament witnessed an impressive start for Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth, who secured his place in the second round of the men’s singles event. Srikanth, ranked 47th in the world, overcame Israel’s Daniil Dubovenko in straight games, 21-13, 21-18, on Wednesday in Pathumwan.
Dominant Performance by Srikanth
Srikanth, a World Championships medalist, displayed his dominance early in the match, racing to a 6-0 lead before Dubovenko found his footing. However, the Indian shuttler maintained his composure, securing an 11-4 lead at the interval and comfortably closing the first game at 21-13.
The second game saw a spirited comeback from Dubovenko, who leveled the score at 15-15 after trailing 10-5. Yet, Srikanth stepped up his game in the final moments, accelerating his attack to seal the match 21-18. His next challenge in the Round of 16 will be against Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan, ranked 41st in the world.
“We are making progress, but there is still plenty of room for development,” Srikanth stated after the match, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement.
Indian Contingent Shines at Thailand Masters
Apart from Srikanth, several Indian players made it to the second round across different categories:
Men’s Singles:
- Sankar Subramanian staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Malaysia’s Cheam Jun Wei 15-21, 21-15, 21-19. He will now face Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the next round.
Men’s Doubles:
- The Indian duo Ruban Kumar and Hariharan Amsakarunan comfortably defeated Thailand’s Pannawat Jamtubtim and Ratchapol Makkasasithorn 21-18, 21-12, securing a spot in the next round.
Mixed Doubles:
- Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani outclassed Thailand’s Weeraphat Phakjarung and Sararat Chueboca 21-8, 21-16.
Women’s Singles:
- Rakshitha Ramraj delivered a strong performance, edging past China’s Wu Luo Yu 21-19, 21-16 to advance to the Round of 16.
Disappointments for Other Indian Players
While some Indian shuttlers progressed, others faced early exits:
- Men’s Singles: Tharun Mannepalli, Satish Kumar, Ayush Shetty, and Mithun Manjunath bowed out in the first round.
- Women’s Singles: Tanya Hemanth, Shriyanshi Valishetty, and Tara Shah suffered early defeats.
- Men’s Doubles: The Indian pair Abinash Mohanty and Ayush Pattanayak failed to progress further.
Looking Ahead
With multiple Indian players still in contention, the Thailand Masters continues to be an exciting tournament for Indian badminton fans. Srikanth’s Round of 16 battle against Jason Gunawan will be a crucial test of his form and endurance.
Stay tuned for more updates as Indian shuttlers strive for glory on the international stage!