Singapore Open 2022: PV Sindhu enters Round 2, Mithun Manjunath shocks Kidambi Srikanth
PV Sindhu was off to a winning start in the Singapore Open 2022 as she entered Round 2. Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth was stunned by Mithun Manjunath in the opening round.
FollowIndian shuttler Mithun Manjunath pulled off a shocker with a win over compatriot and World Championships silver medalist Kidambi Srikanth to join the two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu in Round 2 of the 2022 Singapore Open Super 500 tournament on Wednesday. Manjunath, the runner-up from the 2022 Orleans Masters Super 100, defeated world No. 11 Srikanth in a three-setter 21-17, 15-21, 21-18 during the opening round, as the contest lasted precisely an hour. Manjunath, ranked World No. 77 and a product from the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, will be up against Nhat Nguyen of Ireland next in the following round.
Earlier, Sindhu, in her match, was in complete control against World No. 36 Lianne Tanas of Belgium, prevailing in straight sets 21-15, 21-11 in the women's singles clash. The former World champion will be up against Thuy Linh Nguyen of Vietnam next in Round 2. In contrast, Manjunath was all guns blazing, dominating the opening game, as he took an early 6-2 lead and kept Srikanth at bay to comfortably take the game.
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However, Srikanth turned the tables after changing the side, enjoying an 11-8 cushion during the break, extending his lead to vouch for his comeback into the contest. As things moved into the decider, it became a roller-coaster ride as the two slugged it out. Yet, Manjunath exhibited better control, ensuring a slight one-point advantage.
Srikanth led 16-15 at a stage, but Manjunath capitalised and whirled off the final three points from 18-18 to script one of the biggest wins of his budding international career. Manjunath has been in fine form, reaching his maiden Super-100 final at Orleans Masters in France this April. He grabbed four All-India ranking titles, as he also won the Senior Ranking Badminton tournament in December last year.
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Earlier in the year, Manjunath tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw from the 2022 India Open Super 500 in January. However, he made it to the Indian team for the 2022 Badminton Asia Team Championships held in Malaysia, besides finishing in the semis during the 2022 Syed Modi International and in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Odisha Super 100.
As for the women's singles match, Sindhu took her time to get going, lagging behind 1-4. However, she pulled away from 7-7, never to look back. After an 11-8 lead at the mid-game interval, she marched on to win the opening game. She continued with the same momentum in the second game, leading 5-1. A three-point burst helped Tan to reduce the lead somewhat. But, a relentless Sindhu upped her ante to seal the deal with no concerns whatsoever.
(With inputs from PTI)
