Defending Champion India faces Thailand in their Thomas Cup Opener.
While the Thomas Cup is the world badminton team championship for men, the Uber Cup is the women’s version. Both championships are held simultaneously biannually.
While the Thomas Cup is the world badminton team championship for men, the Uber Cup is the women’s version. Both championships are held simultaneously biannually.
Seeded second, Sindhu defeated world No. 49 Wen Yu Zhang of Canada 21-16, 21-12 in 30 minutes in her round of 32 match. The Indian,11th in the badminton rankings, will now take on world No. 63 Huang Yu-Husn of Chinese Taipei in the second round.
Srikanth secured a comfortable 21-10, 21-14 victory over world No. 34 Chia Hao Lee to qualify for his first semi-final on the BWF World Tour since November 2022.
Sindhu will now take on the winner of the clash between world No. 1 An Se-young o Korea and Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Wen-chi.
World No. 17 Lakshya Sen lost to 44th ranked Arnaud Merkle 15-21, 18-21 in 54 minutes. while world No. 22 Kidambi Srikanth lost to 25th-ranked Toma Junior Popov 17-21,15-21 in 44 minutes.
Praneeth, ranked 19th, defeated 66th-ranked Jason Anthony Ho-Shue of Canada 21-17, 21-16 in a first-round clash lasting 39 minutes.
Defending champion Marin had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee while competing in the Indonesian Masters final on January 26 and has since been sidelined from competition.
In the absence of Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, who withdrew in the last minute from the event, Saina's ouster marks the end of India's campaign in the women's singles event.
Saina will next play Japan's Sayaka Takahashi after the latter beat Indonesia's Ruselli Hartawan.
Sindhu needed just 37 minutes to ease past her opponent 21-9, 21-17 in her first match of the tournament. She will now have to face Japan's Aya Ohori whom she met recently in the Indonesia Open.
