Sen, HS Prannoy, Satwik-Chirag and Srikanth Kidambi start off Denmark Open campaign with wins; Saina Nehwal crashes out in the first round

It has been a good start for the Indian badminton contingent at the Denmark Open as the World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen has progressed to the pre-quarterfinals along with experienced shuttler HS Prannoy as they both picked straight game wins and have looked in fine touch in the Men’s Singles category in denmark. However the only setback for Indian badminton was Saina Nehwal’s elimination as she lost out in the first round of the Women’s Singles at the Denmark Open.

The unseeded Lakshya Sen had a tricky match on his hands as he faced Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and came home with a straightforward 21-16, 21-12 win in a match that lasted only 39 minutes. Sen has set up a pre-quarterfinals clash against fellow Indian HS Prannoy at the Denmark Open.

This was sen’s third win over Ginting this year and the previous two wins came at the German Open in March and a crucial win over him at the Thomas Cup where India eventually went onto become Champions.

HS prannoy on the other hand had to fight harder than his compatriot though he also wrapped up his match in straight games. He defeated China’s Zhao Jun Peng with a score of 21-13, 22-20. It was a fine victory for the experienced Indian as he has lost to same opponent twice this year, once in the Indonesia Open in June and then at the World Championship in August.

In Men’s doubles also India have started well as the fan favourite duo of Satwiksairaj rankireddy and Chirag Chetty who are seeded seventh in the tournament defeated the Korean duo of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae 21-15 21-19 in a first round clash that last for 44 minutes. It was a smooth sailing win for the Indian duo as they gear up for tougher matches ahead. The Indian duo will face Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Maulana Bagas in the next round in Denmark.

But the only disappointment that came India’s way was the departure of Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal. Nehwal lost her first round clash against China’s Zhang Yi Man17-21, 21-19, 11-21 in a game that lasted 48 minutes. The experienced Indian shuttler had already lost to the same opponent this year at the Macau Open in February and once again suffered the same fate.

Indian badminton fans also await Srikanth Kidambi’s pre-quarterfinals match against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in a tough clash. Loh Kean Yew is the Gold medallist at the World Championships and is also the seventh seed in this tournament. The Indian shuttler defeated Hong Kong’s Angus ng Ka Long in the first round in a very tight battle. Srikanth came from behind after dropping the first game to progress through to the next round. He won 17-21, 21-14, 21-12 in a match that lasted for 56 minutes.