Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India’s badminton stars PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Malvika Bansod advanced to the second round of the China Masters, a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament on November 20.
In the men’s singles, Lakshya Sen recorded a significant victory against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in a rematch of their bronze-medal clash from the Paris Olympics. This time, the Indian emerged victorious, winning 21-14, 13-21, 21-13 in 57 minutes. The triumph ended Lakshya’s winless streak of four tournaments since the Paris Games and sets him up for a tough round-of-16 matchup against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke.
Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu showcased her dominance, defeating Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-17, 21-19 in a 50-minute contest. This marked Sindhu’s 20th win in 21 encounters against the world No. 11, further cementing her head-to-head supremacy. Sindhu now gears up for a challenging clash against Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in the round of 16.
Malvika Bansod also impressed, surviving a grueling one-hour-14-minute thriller against Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt. The Indian shuttler triumphed 20-22, 23-21, 21-16 in a closely fought match, displaying remarkable grit and determination. She will face Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the next round.
