French Open: Kidambi Srikanth stuns Chou Tien Chen, HS Prannoy loses in opener

India's Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the men's singles second round with a surprising victory over Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen, but HS Prannoy was eliminated early from the French Open Super 750 badminton competition on Wednesday. Srikanth, the world number 24 who is racing against the clock to qualify for the Paris Olympics, defeated 14th-ranked Chen 21-15, 20-22, 21-8 in a 66-minute first-round match for his third victory over the Taiwanese shuttler in seven meetings.

In the next round, Srikanth, the 2021 world championships silver medalist, will face China's world No. 17 Lu Guang Zu, who halted India's HS Prannoy's campaign with a solid 21-17, 21-17 triumph on the next court at the Arena Porte de la Chapelle. Srikanth was by much the superior player, coming back from 5-7 down to win 14 of the next 17 points to claim the bragging rights.

However, Chen produced a comeback in the second game and managed to keep his nose ahead in time to push the match to a decider after a torturous fight of nerves. After switching sides, Srikanth was again in his element, as he scored nine straight points



from 7-5 to put Chen far behind. The Taiwanese scored three points before the Indian slammed the door in his face with the final five.

In the neighbouring court, Prannoy appeared to be on his way to glory, only to collapse in the end as Guang Zu grabbed the spotlight. Prannoy took a 5-2 lead early in the first game, and while Guang Zu rallied with three points, the Indian immediately switched gears to reclaim a three-point lead at the break. The duo battled in some intense rallies, with Prannoy keeping things tight for the most part. The Chinese, on the other hand, continued to close in on the Indian, keeping him within two points while waiting for an opening. It ultimately arrived when Prannoy's backhand hit the net as the Chinese stormed back to 16-16 before Prannoy erred once more.

Guang Zu then pocketed the opening game by unleashing a quick return on his rival's backhand. Prannoy made an erratic start to the second game, falling 0-3 behind early. It was back to the grind for the Indian as he slowly drew parity at 6-6 with a few winners like the down-the-line smash on Guang Zu's forehand.