BWF World Championships 2023: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen advance to second round

HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen entered the second round of the men's singles category at the World Championships held on Monday after securing victories against Kalle Koljonen of Finland and Georges Julien Paul of Mauritius, respectively.

Prannoy, ranked world number 9 and quarterfinalist in the last two editions, overcame Koljonen in straight games, 24-22, 21-10, extending his winning streak over the Finnish shuttler to 3-0.

Sen, the current Commonwealth Games champion, dominated his match against Paul, ending the match with an impressive 21-12, 21-7 win in just 25 minutes of play, mirroring Prannoy's progression to the next round.

Sen, who bagged a bronze in the last edition, is slated to face Korea's Jeon Hyeok Jin going forward, whereas Prannoy is expected to compete against



Indonesia's Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.

The matchup between Prannoy and Koljonen was a thrilling contest with both players demonstrating their tactical prowess and commitment. Effortless backhand blocks and daring cross-court smashes determined the winner of their nail-biting battle. The Indian ace, Prannoy, led the Finnish player with 12 match points to book his place in the second round.

Similarly, Sen effortlessly dispatched his opponent, Paul. Despite Paul's attempts to bridge the widening gap in scores, Sen retained control of the match throughout and delivered a dominating performance.

Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles shuttlers, Rohan Kapoor and N Sikki Reddy, crashed out of the tournament, after losing to Scotland's Adam Hall and Julie Macpherson in a match that lasted almost an hour.