United States : Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap’s hopes of making it to the main draw of the US Open 2023 badminton tournament were dashed after an injury forced him to withdraw during the qualifiers on Tuesday. On a more positive note, rising star Sankar Muthusamy secured a spot in the men’s singles main draw.
Kashyap, a former world No. 6 and the 2014 Commonwealth Games men’s singles champion, began his qualifier campaign on a positive note with a victory over world No. 159 Rohan Midha of Canada. However, his journey was cut short when he had to pull out mid-game against world No. 85 Koo Takahashi of Japan. Despite losing the first game against Midha 21-23, Kashyap showed resilience before his withdrawal, trailing 7-11 in the second game.
In contrast, 19-year-old Sankar Muthusamy showcased his potential by overcoming two qualifying rounds and securing a place in the men’s singles main draw. Ranked 80th in men’s singles, Muthusamy defeated world No. 155 Davi Silva of Brazil 21-17, 21-11 in the first round. He followed it up with an impressive victory over world No. 139 BR Sankeerth of Canada, winning 21-11, 21-17 to progress into the main draw. Muthusamy’s next challenge awaits as he is set to face world No. 32 Nhat Nguyen of Ireland.
Unfortunately, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala, India’s representatives in the men’s doubles, faced disappointment as they crashed out in the round of 32. The duo, ranked 37th in doubles, suffered a 21-14, 21-14 defeat against the world No. 59 pair of Lin Yu Chieh and Su Li Wei from Chinese Taipei.
In the women’s doubles category, Apeksha Nayak and Ramya Chickmenhalli Venkatesh, ranked 192nd in the world, withdrew from the tournament before their round of 32 match against Jeslyn Chow and Eliana Zhang of Canada.
The focus now shifts to India’s top badminton players, including two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Commonwealth Games 2022 champion Lakshya Sen, who are set to take the court on Wednesday. As the tournament progresses, Indian fans eagerly await their performances and hope for their success in the US Open 2023.
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