Indian shuttlers have been earning a big name in world badminton with Saina Nehwal being India's top representative in world badminton. But, when Nehwal decided to withdraw from the Singapore Open Super Series, all eyes were on India's number one shuttler, Kidambi Srikanth in the competition.
But, the Indian shuttler made a surprise exit from the competition after losing to Thailand's Tanongsak in straight set 21-15 and 22-20 during his second round clash. Had Srikanth, who have looked good in previous tournaments, progressed, three Indians would still be alive in the tournament.
India still have two representatives in the ongoing competition - Parupalli Kashyap and HS Prannoy, who played some amazing badminton to progress in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Kashyap came up with a spirited display to send the fourth seed of the competition South Korean Son Wan Ho packing in straight sets, 21-15 and 22-20. The game lasted for 46 minutes.
Kashyap will meet French Brice Leverdez against whom the Indian has a 1-1 win loss record. The Hyderabadi has not been able to perform much outside home, as his two major titles have been won in India itself – 2012 and 2015 Indian Open Grand Prix Gold.
If he needs to impress at the world stage, he needs to win huge titles and defeat top ranked players in major competitions.
This is what exactly HS Prannoy did when he came up against the Denmark champ Jan O Jorgensen, where the Indian defeated the second seed in straight sets 21-16 and 21-8. It is one of the biggest upset of the competition.
With this victory over the Dane, the Indian has defeated the player thrice in his career and has never lost against him.
In the quarters, Prannoy will play Japanese Kento Momota, who ousted the sixth seed of the competition Chou Tien Chen.
So, with such performances from the Indian shuttlers in such a big competition, one can safely say Indian badminton is in safe hands in the men's circuit.
Where to Watch
The Singapore Open Super Series Premier Live coverage starts at 2:30pm IST (5am ET and 9am GMT).
Viewers in India can watch the Live coverage on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD with live streaming option on Starsports.com.
Live updates of all the matches during the competition can be followed on the live scorecard.
