Kidambi Srikanth, the runner-up from the last competition, Lakshya Sen, and Thomas Cup hero H.S. Prannoy kept the Indian flag flying on Monday, while B. Sai Praneeth and Malvika Bansod’s careers were cut short.

Prannoy and Srikanth both won their matches in straight games as they faced off in the semifinals of the 2021 competition.

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Overall, it was a mixed day for India as M.R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila got to the second round in men’s doubles while Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy advanced in women’s doubles.

Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto advanced in the mixed doubles round after defeating Patrick Scheiel and Franziska Volkmann of Germany 21-12, 21-13 in 29 minutes. However, Hiroki Okamura and Masayuki Onodera from Japan defeated Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy 11-21, 21-19, and 15-21.

Sen and Srikanth, though, had a great start in the men’s singles division, winning their first match handily.

Nineh-seeded Sen, a 21-year-old from Uttarakhand, began the tournament by defeating World No. 19 Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in straight games, 21-12, 21-11, in a 35-minute encounter. In the round of 32, he will next compete against Spaniard Luis Penalver.

In a 51-minute match, Srikanth, the former world No. 1, defeated Nhat Nguyen of Ireland 22-20, 21-19. The promising Chinese teenager Zhao Jun Peng will be the opponent for the Indian shuttler in the following round.

Prannoy defeated Austrian Luka Wraber 21-12, 21-11 to go to the men’s singles round of 32, where he joined his two countrymen. His following opponent will be local favourite and former two-time world champion Kento Momota.

Sai Praneeth’s day did not go well as the Telangana player was defeated in three games by fourth-seeded Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Sai Praneeth battled back after dropping the first game, but he was unable to keep up the pace in the championship game, losing 15-21, 21-15, 15-21 in just over an hour.

Malvika Bansod was defeated by Line Christophersen of Denmark in the first round in two games, 21-11 and 21-18.

The Maldivian women’s doubles team of Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq and Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq were defeated by Ashwini and Sikki in straight games, 21-7, 21-9.

Arjun Dhruv M.R. In the men’s doubles competition, Kapila defeated the Thai team of Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren to go to the second round. 21-17,17-21, 22-20.

(Inputs from IANS)