Badminton Nationals: Sindhu takes on Saina in a blockbuster final

H. S. Prannoy overcame Subhankar Dey 21-14, 21-17 to set up the final against Kidambi Srikanth. Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu set up a dream final after wins against Anura Prabhudesai and G. Ruthvika Shivani.

P. V. Sindhu overcame a first-game defeat to beat G. Ruthvika Shivani 17-21, 21-15, 21-11.

The stage is set for the clash of the titans in the 82nd Senior National Badminton championship at the Divisional Sports Complex here on Wednesday.

READ:  Sindhu's dream final comes true

World No. 2 Kidambi Srikanth will take on H. S. Prannoy in the men’s singles final on Wednesday.

World No. 2 P. V. Sindhu overcame a first-game loss to set up the much-awaited battle in the women’s singles against Saina Nehwal.

Second-seeded H. S. Prannoy marched into his maiden singles final of the Senior nationals with a 21-14, 21-17 win over Subhankar Dey.

H. S. Prannoy marched into his maiden singles final of the Senior nationals with a 21-14, 21-17 win over Subhankar Dey.

 

The 24-year-old Kolkata-based Subhankar, who trains in Bengaluru at the White Peacock Academy under Arvind Bhatt and Vinod Kumar, couldn't cope with Prannoy when he hampered from going for smashes.

In the second semifinal, Srikanth got the better of last year’s runner-up Lakshya Sen of Uttarakhand 21-16, 21-18 in 35 minutes, raising the bar just when the young talent tried to come back into the game with his big smashes.

“His net dribbles and the big hits were just too good,” confessed Lakshya Sen later.  

In women’s singles semifinal, two-time national champion Saina Nehwal defeated Anura Prabhudesai 21-11, 21-10.

“It was a good match and she fought really well and it shows the kind of talent available in India now,” remarked Saina later.

Later, P. V. Sindhu was surprised in the first game by the tenacity and brilliance of Ruthvika Shivani, to whom she lost in the last South Asian Games final, to eventually enter the final with a hard-fought 17-21, 21-15, 21-11 win.

Shivani, whose left knee was heavily strapped, fell way short in many aspects of the game once Sindhu changed gears in the second and third games to demonstrate why she is such a feared shuttler at the highest level.

RESULTS

Men’s singles: H. S. Prannoy (PSPB) beat Subhankar Dey (Rlys) 21-14, 21-17; K. Srikanth (PSPB) beat Lakshya Sen (Utk) 21-16, 21-18. Men’s doubles: Manu Attri (PSPB) & B. Sumeeth Reddy (TS) beat Alwin Francis (Ker) & K. Nanda Gopal (CAG) 21-18, 21-18; R. Satwik Sai Raj (AP) & Chirag Shetty (Maha) beat M.R. Arjun (AAI) & Shlok Ramchandran (AAI) 21-15, 21-13. Women’s singles: Saina Nehwal (PSPB) beat Anura Prabhudesai (AAI) 21-11, 21-10; P. V. Sindhu (AP) beat G. Ruthvika Shivani (PSPB) 17-21, 21-15, 21-11. Women’s doubles: Sanjay Ghorpade & Prajakta Sawant (AI) beat Rituparna Panda (Odi) & U.K. Mithula (AI) 18-21, 21-12, 21-16; Ashwini Ponnappa & N. Sikki Reddy (PSPB) beat Aparna Balan (PSPB) & K.P. Sruthi (Ker) 21-10, 21-14. Mixed doubles: R. Satwik Sai Raj (AP) & Ashwini Ponnappa (PSPB) beat Sayam Shukla (AI & Sanyogita Ghorpade (Ai) 4-4 (retd); Pranaav J Chopra & N. Sikki Reddy (PSPB) beat Alwin Francis (Ker) & Aparna Balan (PSPB) 21-16, 22-24, 21-8.