Paris Olympics 2024: Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag start with straight-game wins, Ashwini-Tanisha loses

Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto went down in straight games in their opening women’s doubles match at Paris.

In an exciting opening to badminton Paris Olympics 2024 campaign, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen took on Kevin Cordon of Guatemala in Group L. Though he made easy work of the first game, winning it 21-8 courtesy of some fleet-footed finishes that gave him early domination, the second game turned out to be quite a different tale.

Kevin Cordon made a fine recovery in the second set, as errors from Sen’s racket gave him a clear lead at 20-16. However, displaying incredible resilience and determination from Lakshya Sen saw a dramatic turnaround in the game.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024 Badminton Day 1 Highlights

The 22-year-old clawed back with four consecutive points to force a deuce, ultimately securing the set 22-20 and thus the match.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty opened their campaign at Paris Olympics 2024 with a convincing win over pair of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar from France. The Indian duo won the match in straight games, with the first game won 21-17 after engaging in a tough 23-minute fight.

Though the French pair went ahead in the initial phase, Rankireddy and Shetty were quick to gain momentum through hard-hitting smashes and sharp serves to take the game.

In the second game, the Indian duo managed to built a huge lead through tight defense and forced the opponents to commit errors.

Also Read: Badminton at Paris Olympics 2024: Updated schedule, fixtures, squad, results, live streaming details

The Frenchmen did fight back but could not breakthrough the Indian pair’s cleverly placed smashes. Rankireddy and Shetty kept extending the lead without giving any chances. By keeping their cool they dominated the rallies in the game, culminating in a 21-14 win to seal the match.

Net play and strategic positioning were visibly better throughout, as Rankireddy and Shetty took control of the game against their opponents. The victory marked a strong start to their Paris Olympics 2024 campaign as they look forward to building on that momentum through the rounds in pursuit of an Olympic medal for India.

India’s women’s doubles hope, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa later down meekly against Korean opponents Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong. The Korean pair, bronze medallist at Tokyo Olympics, won the contest 21-18, 21-10.

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