Badminton

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand's remarkable run at the Singapore Open came to a halt in the semifinals, as they succumbed to a straight-game defeat against the formidable Japanese duo of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. The unseeded Indians, who had stunned top-10 opponents in the previous rounds, were outplayed by the World No. 4 pair, who secured a 23-21, 21-11 victory in 47 minutes.The first game witnessed a spirited fightback from Treesa and Gayatri, who rallied from a 5-10 deficit to level the score at 16-16. However, Matsuyama and Shida maintained their composure and earned a game point at 20-18. The Indian duo displayed resilience, saving two game points to tie the game at 21-21. Nevertheless, the Japanese pair regained their momentum and clinched the first game.The second game proved to be a one-sided affair, as Matsuyama and Shida dominated from the outset. They surged to a commanding 20-6 lead before allowing the Indians to briefly reduce the deficit. However, the gap proved insurmountable, and the Japanese duo sealed their place in the final.Treesa and Gayatri's impressive run at the Singapore Open included victories over World No. 2 Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee in the pre-quarters and World No. 6 Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Young in the quarters. Their performance showcased their potential and underlined their growing stature in the international badminton circuit.Despite the setback in the semifinals, Treesa and Gayatri have demonstrated their ability to compete against the world's best. Their bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games and their consistent performances on the BWF World Tour Super 750 circuit are a testament to their hard work and dedication.

PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand emerged victorious in the opening round of the Singapore Open Super 750 Badminton Tournament on Wednesday. However, Lakshya Sen faced a disappointing defeat against world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen.Sindhu, a former Singapore Open champion, defeated world No. 21 Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-12, 22-20 in a 44-minute encounter. She will now face Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain, who holds an 11-5 record against the Indian.Prannoy overcame a spirited challenge from Julien Carraggi of Belgium 21-9, 18-21, 21-9 to set up a meeting with Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Jolly and Gopichand notched up a 21-7, 21-14 win over Cheng Yu-Pei and Sun Yu Hsing of Chinese Taipei in women's doubles.However, Lakshya Sen, who will make his Olympic debut in Paris, fought hard but lost 13-21, 21-16, 13-21 to Axelsen in a 62-minute battle. Kidambi Srikanth's opening round match ended in agony as he retired due to a knee injury after lagging 14-21, 3-11 against Japan's fifth seed Kodai Naraoka.In other results, Olympic-bound women's combination Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa lost 21-18, 19-21, 19-21 to Ukraine's Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemyr. Men's pair Krishna Prasad Garage and Sai Pratheek K suffered a 16-21, 22-24 loss to second seeded Chinese Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy lost 18-21, 19-21 to Malaysia's Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie in mixed doubles, while Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan lost 8-21, 8-21 against Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch.

World No. 1 Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the Singapore Open Super 750 tournament on Tuesday. The top-seeded pair, who were among the favorites for the gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics, fell to Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in a closely contested match.Despite their impressive victory at the Thailand Open Super 500 earlier this month, Satwik and Chirag struggled to find their rhythm against the Danish duo. The match went down to the wire, with both pairs exchanging thrilling rallies. However, Lundgaard and Vestergaard ultimately prevailed, winning 20-22, 18-21 in a 47-minute encounter.The defeat marked a disappointing start for India at the Singapore Open. Aakarshu Kashyap, ranked 41st in the world, was outplayed by Thailand's Pornpicha Choeikeewong in the women's singles competition, losing 7-21, 15-21. Priyanshu Rajawat also faced a tough challenge in the men's singles, narrowly losing 21-23, 19-21 to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu.In the women's doubles, the Indian pair of Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda fought valiantly but ultimately fell short against Chinese Taipei's Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tun, losing 12-21, 21-12, 13-21. Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also suffered a defeat in the mixed doubles, losing 8-21, 17-21 to Hong Kong's Lee CHun Hei Reginald and Ng Tsz Yau.Despite the setbacks, India's top shuttlers, including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy, will begin their campaigns on Wednesday. They will be hoping to put up a strong performance and bring home some medals for India.

B Sai Praneeth, the former world number 10 and bronze medalist at the 2019 World Championships, has announced his retirement from international badminton. The 31-year-old from Hyderabad has been battling nagging injuries since the Tokyo Olympics and has decided to hang up his boots.Praneeth's career spanned over two decades, during which he achieved some notable milestones. He won the Singapore Open Super Series in 2017 and became the first Indian male shuttler to reach the semifinals of the World Championships in 2019. He also represented India at the Tokyo Olympics but failed to make a mark, losing all his matches in the group stage.Despite the setbacks, Praneeth remained a respected figure in the badminton world. He was known for his aggressive style of play and his ability to produce stunning upsets. He defeated some of the top players in the world, including Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, and Viktor Axelsen.Praneeth's retirement marks the end of an era for Indian badminton. He was one of the most successful male shuttlers in the country and his achievements inspired a generation of young players. He will be remembered as a true champion and a role model for aspiring badminton players.In his retirement announcement, Praneeth expressed his gratitude to his family, coaches, and the Badminton Association of India for their support throughout his career. He also thanked his fans for their unwavering belief in him.Praneeth is now set to embark on a new chapter in his life. He will be joining the Triangle Badminton Academy in the USA as a head coach next month. He is excited about this new challenge and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge and experience with young players.