New Delhi: Five Indian players produced commanding performances to reach the men’s singles second round of the Australian Open Super 500 tournament in Sydney. The opening day proved productive for the contingent, with Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Ayush Shetty, Tharun Mannepalli and Kidambi Srikanth all progressing after impressive victories.
Lakshya set the tone with a composed straight-games win over Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei. The former World Championships bronze medallist controlled the tempo throughout the 21-17 21-13 contest, dictating rallies with sharp placement and measured aggression. He will now face the winner of the match between Chi Yu Jen and Wang Tzu Wei.
Prannoy followed with a gritty comeback after a shaky start against world number 85 Yohanes Saut Marcellyno. The 33-year-old regrouped strongly after dropping the first game, shifting the momentum with tighter control and precise net play to claim a 6-21 21-12 21-17 win in 57 minutes. His next challenge will be eighth seed Alwi Farhan of Indonesia.
Youngster Ayush Shetty continued his upward trajectory with a clinical 21-11 21-15 win over Canada’s Sam Yuan. The world number 32, who won his maiden Super 300 title earlier this year, will face fourth seed Kodai Naraoka in the second round.
Tharun Mannepalli battled through a tight three-game encounter against Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen, sealing a 21-13 17-21 21-19 victory after 66 minutes of sustained pressure. He now meets fifth seed Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in what promises to be a challenging test.
Veteran Srikanth added to India’s successful run by outlasting Lee Chia Hao 21-19 19-21 21-15 in another intense contest. The former World Championships silver medallist will play either Shogo Ogawa or Edward Lau next.
Kiran George came close to joining the group but fell short in a hard-fought match against sixth seed Kenta Nishimoto, losing 21-11 22-24 17-21 after a spirited effort. In mixed doubles, Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan exited early following a straight-games defeat to Canada’s Nyl Yakura and Crystal Lai.
