Indonesia Masters 2024: Lakshya Sen, Kiran George advance; HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth Fall

Published at :January 24, 2024 at 10:58 PM

Modified at :January 24, 2024 at 10:58 PM

(Courtesy : BAI)

Lakshya Sen avenged his Malaysian Open loss with win over Weng Hong Yang

The Indonesia Masters 2024 badminton tournament kicked off with a flurry of matches that saw a mixed bag of results for the Indian contingent. Two Indian players, Lakshya Sen, and Kiran George, advanced to the second round, while HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth were eliminated in the first round.

Lakshya Sen, world number 19, who is on a quest to qualify for the Paris Olympics, emerged victorious against China’s Weng Hong Yang in straight games, 24-22, 21-15. This win was particularly sweet for Sen as he had previously lost to Weng in the first round of the Malaysia Open, another Olympic qualifying event, earlier this month. Sen now braces himself to face Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in the next round.

Another young sensation Kiran George, world number 23 and winner of two Super 100 titles in 2022 and 2023 triumphed over France’s Toma Junior Popov in a thrilling three-game match, 18-21, 21-16, 21-19. George had qualified for the main draw after winning two matches on Tuesday. His next challenge lies in the form of China’s Lu Guang Zu in the second round.

However, the day was not without disappointments. HS Prannoy, world number 8 and recent semifinalist of the India Open succumbed to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, the former world champion, in three games, 18-21, 21-19, 10-21. Prannoy, a bronze medalist at the Asian Games and the world championships in 2023, had also exited in the first round of the Malaysia Open.

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Kidambi Srikanth, world number 11 and racing against time to qualify for Paris squandered a one-game lead to lose to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, world number 10, in three games, 21-19, 14-21, 11-21. Srikanth, the former world number 1, had also lost in the first round of the Malaysia Open.

The Indonesia Masters is the last of the three Olympic qualifying events in Asia. The Indian players are facing stiff competition from the Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian shuttlers, who have dominated the circuit in recent years.

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