Indonesia Masters Badminton: Sindhu, Srikanth, Prannoy enter quarterfinals; Lakshya, doubles pairs bow out

Bali (Indonesia), November 18: Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy registered come-from-behind wins to enter the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters Super 750 badminton tournament in Bali on Thursday (November 18).

While Sindhu overcame Spain's Clara Azurmendi to reach the last 8 of the women's singles event, Srikanth fought hard to beat Indonesia's Jonathan Christie to reach the last 8 stage, and Prannoy stunned second seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.

Playing against the world no 47 Azurmendi for the first time, Sindhu, who is seeded third, took 47 minutes to record a 17-21 21-7 21-12 in the women's singles second round clash.

The two-time Olympic medallist will now lock horns with world no 30 unseeded Turkish shuttler Neslihan Yigit in the quarterfinals. Sindhu has a 3-0 head-to-head record against the Turkish.

Srikanth, meanwhile, took little over an hour after going a game down to get the better of sixth seeded Christie 13-21, 21-18, 21-15. In the quarterfinal, he will face his compatriot Prannoy, who came from a game down to beat Axelsen 14-21, 21-19, 21-16.

However, it was curtains for young Lakshya Sen in the men's singles event, the mixed doubles pairing of Dhruv Kapila and N Sikki Reddy, who also crashed out of the women's doubles event along with partner Ashwini Ponnappa.

The 20-year-old Lakshya, who had reached the semi-finals at Hylo Open Super 500 and final of Dutch Open recently, went down 13-21 19-21 to the top seed and two-time world champion Kento Momota of Japan in a 46-minute clash.

Kapila and Sikki, on the other hand, lost a hard fought 15-21 23-21 18-21 battle to Thai duo of Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran in the second round mixed doubles match.

In women's doubles event, Ashwini and Sikki lost in straight games 18-21, 12-21 to Thailand's third seeded pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai in the last 16 match.

(With PTI inputs)