On the first day of the China Open 2023, a Super 1000 competition in Changzhou, China, the India shutters had a dim performance. Star shutters, including bronze medalists from the World Championships, HS Prannoy, were eliminated in the first round of the esteemed competition, raising questions in front of the Asian Games in 2023.
Notably, two-time Olympic champion PV Sindhu and the former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth withdrew from the China Open in order to have more time to prepare for the Asian Games.
After winning the World Championships in Copenhagen last month, HS Prannoy unexpectedly lost in the first round to Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong on Tuesday, losing in three games.
The sixth-ranked Indian in the world battled hard for an hour and six minutes before falling to the Malaysian, who is 22nd-ranked by scores of 12-21, 21-13, and 18-21.
In the opening round, reigning Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen was eliminated as well after falling to Anders Antonsen of Denmark by scores of 21-23, 21-16, and 9-21 over the course of one hour and 18 minutes.
Then, Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia 13-21, 24-26. The Indian challenge in the men's singles came to an end at that point.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, the top seeds in the women's doubles competition, were defeated by Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan of China 18-21, 11-21.
(Photo: AFP/Twitter) (With PTI Inputs)
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