Thailand Masters: Kidambi Srikanth to spearhead Indian challenge
Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Thailand Masters 2025 badminton tournament starting from Tuesday at Nimibutr Stadium in Pathumwan.
Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Thailand Masters 2025 badminton tournament starting from Tuesday at Nimibutr Stadium in Pathumwan.
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.
Life after that historic gold has been all about felicitations and the Indian will now have to quickly turn her focus back on badminton as she remains the country's best bet at the China Open, a title she had won in 2016.
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.
