HS Prannoy progressed to round of 16 of the Japan Open Super 750 tournament in Osaka after his first-round opponent Ng ka Long Angus retired midway through their match. Prannoy will face eighth seed Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the second round on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Indian was leading 11-10 in the match before his opponent from Hong Kong withdrew. Angus had also withdrawn midway through his quarterfinal match against Loh Kean Yew at the World Championships in Tokyo last week.
The world No 18 came into the tournament on the back of a strong run at the World Championships where he beat two-time world champion Kento Momota and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen on the way to the quarterfinal.
In women’s doubles, India’s Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam lost 15-21, 9-21 against Korea’s Yu Lim Lee and Ha Na Baek in the round of 32.
There were just two matches featuring Indians on Tuesday. On Wednesday the likes of Lakshya Sen, Srikanth Kidambi, Saina Nehwal and Dhruv-Kapila-MR Arjun will begin their campaigns.
Lakshya faces Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, Srikanth has to take on the Malaysian might of Lee Zii Jia in the men’s singles. Akane Yamaguchi, fresh from defending her World Championships title in Tokyo, will provide a big challenge for former world No 1 Saina Nehwal, still finding her way back from fitness issues.
Dhruv-Arjun, on the back of a good run at the Worlds, face a tricky Korean test in the opening round. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face seventh seeds Prajongjai and Kititharakul from Thailand, while Venkat Prasad and Juhi Dewangan take on the red-hot mixed doubles world champions from China Zheng/Huang.
Preview: All eyes on Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy as Indian shuttlers eye good run in Osaka
Prannoy will return to action in the second round on Thursday.
