Thailand Masters: Sai Praneeth enters quarterfinals, Ishaan-Tanisha makes 2nd round exit

Praneeth was the lone Indian shuttler to advance as Indian youngsters’ challenge against rising shuttlers from across the world fell flat in the second round of the Super 300 event.

B. Sai Praneeth of India plays a return during a badminton game of the men’s singles against Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan in the BWF World Championships in on August 22, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP

B. Sai Praneeth, the former BWF World Championships bronze medallist, prevailed over Korea’s Jeon Hyeokjin to reach the quarterfinals of the Thailand Masters badminton tournament in Bangkok on Thursday. The world no. 49 Praneeth beat Jeon 24-22, 7-21, 22-20 in an hour and 18 minutes.

However, Indian youngsters’ challenge against rising shuttlers from across the world fell flat in the second round of the Super 300 event

The mixed doubles pairing of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto were the first to lose. They suffered a straight-game (21-19, 21-16) defeat to Inodnesia’s Akbar Bintang Cahyono-Marsheilla Gischa Islami in their second-round clash.

Ishaan, pairing up with Sai Pratheek, in the men’s doubles round of 16 clash lost 14-21, 21-18, 24-26 against the Thai combo of Tanadon Punpanich and Wachirawit Sothon.

Meanwhile, Kiran George went down 22-20, 15-21, 20-22 to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheukyiu in his men’s singles fixture. Ashmita Chaliha, in women’s singles, started her match in a similar style, taking a first-game lead but lost the next two against Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt to make a second-round exit.

In mixed doubles too, India disappointed, with Rohan Kapoor-N. Sikki Reddy bowing down to China’s world no. 24 pairing of Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in straight games.