Former world number-1 Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth made an impressive start at the Thailand Masters BWF Super 300 event. In the men’s singles opening round on Wednesday, Srikanth defeated Israel’s Danii Dubovenko in straight games. None of the top Indian shuttles are taking part in the event. Players like PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Satwik-Chirag are all not taking part since this is a lower-ranked tournament. Kidambi is taking part because he is struggling with his form and hasn’t won any BWF tours recently.
Kidambi Srikanth’s dominating game
He dominated the first game, quickly securing a 6-0 lead and winning it 21-13. Although Dubovenko put up a tougher fight in the second game, Srikanth kept his calm, leading 11-7 at the break and finishing with a 21-18 victory. This win is Srikanth’s second consecutive victory over Dubovenko, the first being at the 2024 Macau Open. Srikanth will face Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan next in the second round.
Sankar Muthusamy’s gritty win
Another Indian player, S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian, also advanced in the men’s singles event. He won a tough three-game match against Malaysia’s June Wei Cheam, with scores of 15-21, 21-15, 21-19. Subramanian will next compete against Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best day for Ayush Shetty and Mithun Manjunath, who were knocked out of the tournament. Shetty lost to Malaysia’s Jing Hong Kok (15-21, 17-21), and Manjunath was defeated by Malaysia’s Sholeh Aidil (14-21, 13-21).
Success in Mixed Doubles
In the mixed doubles, the Indian duo of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde achieved a solid 21-8, 21-16 win over Thailand’s Weeraphat Phakjarung and Sararat Chueboca. Their next challenge will be against another Thai pair, Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan, in the second round.
Men’s doubles victory
The men’s doubles category saw success for India as well. The pair of Ruben Kumar and Hariharan triumphed over Thailand’s Pannawat Jamtubtim and Ratchapol Makkasasithorn. They won in straight games, 21-18, 21-12, securing their spot in the next stage of the competition. The Indian players’ performances demonstrate their skill and readiness as they advance in the tournament.