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BWF World Tour Finals: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen sail into semifinals; Srikanth suffers defeat

Two-time Olympic medallist and star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu booked a spot in the semifinals of the ongoing BWF World Tour Finals in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday (December 2).

PV Sindu

Bali, December 2: Two-time Olympic medallist and star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu booked a spot in the semifinals of the ongoing BWF World Tour Finals in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday (December 2).

Sindhu defeated German badminton player Yvonne Li in straight sets 21-10, 21-13 to seal the game in just 31 minutes. The Indian shuttler won her second group stage clash with a thumping victory.

Sindhu had defeated Denmark's Line Christophersen 21-14, 21-16 in a match that lasted for 38 minutes on Wednesday (December 1) to begin her campaign on a high.

While she has sealed her spot in the last 4, Sindhu will play her last group stage match against Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong, who has also booked a place in the semis with two wins in two.

Despite a straight games loss to Viktor Axelsen of Denmark on Thursday (December 2), Lakshya Sen made it to the semifinals as the other two in men's singles group A, Japan's Kento Momota and Denmark's Rasmus Gemke, pulled out due to injury.

Lakshya, the youngest Indian to qualify for the year-ending event, and Axelsen, are set to qualify from the group. However, Lakshya's compatriot Kidambi Srikanth lost his second Group B match in the men's singles event to jeopardize his chances of reaching the semifinals.

After opening his campaign with a straight games 21-14, 21-16 win over France's Toma Junior Popov on Wednesday (December 1), the 28-year-old lost to Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight games in his second Group B match.

World number 14 Srikanth, who had reached the knockout stage in the 2014 edition of the year-ending event, went down 18-21, 7-21 to three-time junior world champion Vitidsarn in a 46-minute match.

For Srikanth, it was his third defeat to Vitidsarn, having lost to him at the Sudirman Cup in September and Asia Team Championships last year.

In Group B, Malaysian second seed Lee Zii Jia is at the top with two points, while Srikanth and Vitidsarn shared a point each after registering one victory and one loss.

While Srikanth will face Lee Zii Jia in his third match, Vitidsarn will meet France's Toma Junior Popov.

The winner will finish in the top 2 and qualify for the knockout stage, and if both win their respective matches, it will boil down to the number of games won and lost.

Earlier, the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy suffered second successive loss in the event, going down fighting 19-21, 20-22 to Bulgaria's Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva to bow out of contention.

BWF World Tour Finals: Ashwini-Sikki lose second match; Satwik-Chirag pair pull out due to injuryBWF World Tour Finals: Ashwini-Sikki lose second match; Satwik-Chirag pair pull out due to injury

The Indian duo, who are playing in their first World Tour Finals, will face England's Chloe Birch and Lauren Smith in their last Group B match in the women's doubles event.

Meanwhile, India men's doubles duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy on Thursday (December 2) pulled out of the ongoing tournament due to an injury.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Story first published: Thursday, December 2, 2021, 17:29 [IST]
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