India’s badminton campaign at the World Championships in New Delhi has produced contrasting results, with PV Sindhu advancing to the round of 16 while Lakshya Sen suffered a shock second-round exit.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, India’s only badminton world champion after winning the 2019 title, defeated Canada’s Michelle Li 21-16, 21-17 in 34 minutes. Sindhu, a ninth seed and five-time World Championships medallist, will now face a tough challenge against third seed Wang Zhiyi of China.

In men’s singles, Ayush Shetty continued his impressive run with a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka’s Viran Kumara, keeping India’s hopes alive in the draw.

However, home favourite Lakshya Sen suffered a major upset in the round of 32. The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist was defeated by 18-year-old American Alex Lanier in a dramatic three-game contest.

With Lakshya out, Ayush Shetty is now India’s only remaining men’s singles player at the tournament.

PV Sindhu Reaches World Championships Round Of 16 As Lakshya Sen Suffers Shock Exit

India's Ayush Shetty started the ongoing BWF Badminton World Championships in style, beating top seed Shi Yu Qi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in Round of 64 on Monday (Aug 17) at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. Shetty was the underdog in the match but kept his composure to overcome the world number 1 player to make a place in the Round of 32. Shetty was clinical in the first set before jitters took over in the second set which he lost. The third set went down to the wire which Shetty won by two points to claim a place in the next round.<h2>How Shetty overcame Yu Qi challenge?</h2><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/Z9uXh8fnOnY?si=JbgNSpJeSKiW0Dkj">Speaking to the Badminton Association of India's YouTube channel</a> after the win, Shetty's long time coach Sagar Chopda, explained how the shuttler planned his game to beat number 1 Yu Qi.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bwf-world-championships-2026-ayush-shetty-upsets-reigning-world-champion-shi-yuqi-in-opening-match-pv-sindhu-wins-1786975359842">BWF World Championships 2026: Ayush Shetty upsets reigning world champion Shi Yuqi in opening match; PV Sindhu wins</a>"He used his net shots really well. From the back of the court, he was not in a hurry to hit those hard smashes. He has been very erratic with that shot. So the main thing that we told him was to expect high lifts from Shi. And don't get hassled by taking that jump and hitting it," explained Chopda."He used that really, really well. He mixed his clears because he was playing from the better side. So he used his clears and lifts very well, opening up the court. Overall, it was 10-on-10 in the first game. There was never an ounce of doubt in his shots. Coach Irwansyah has been helping him tactically. And they had a long chat yesterday. If you also look at Ayush's defence today, Shi is one of the best players in the world to have variations from everywhere. From the back of the court, from the net. So Ayush was ready for it. He was really good with his defence," he added.<h2>What next for Ayush Shetty?</h2>After overcoming his biggest challenge in first round itself, Shetty now faces Sri Lanka's Abeywickrama in the Round of 32 of men's singles on Wednesday (Aug 19). After the sensational win in the Round of 64, he's expected to move further in the competition without much trouble.

Shetty was the underdog in the match but kept his composure to overcome the world number 1 player to make a place in the Round of 32 with a 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 win over top seed Shi Yu Qi.

India's Ayush Shetty started the ongoing BWF Badminton World Championships in style, beating top seed Shi Yu Qi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in Round of 64 on Monday (Aug 17) at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. Shetty was the underdog in the match but kept his composure to overcome the world number 1 player to make a place in the Round of 32. Shetty was clinical in the first set before jitters took over in the second set which he lost. The third set went down to the wire which Shetty won by two points to claim a place in the next round. How Shetty overcame Yu Qi challenge? Speaking to the Badminton Association of India's YouTube channel after the win, Shetty's long time coach Sagar Chopda, explained how the shuttler planned his game to beat number 1 Yu Qi. Also Read - BWF World Championships 2026: Ayush Shetty upsets reigning world champion Shi Yuqi in opening match; PV Sindhu wins "He used his net shots really well. From the back of the court, he was not in a hurry to hit those hard smashes. He has been very erratic with that shot. So the main thing that we told him was to expect high lifts from Shi. And don't get hassled by taking that jump and hitting it," explained Chopda. "He used that really, really well. He mixed his clears because he was playing from the better side. So he used his clears and lifts very well, opening up the court. Overall, it was 10-on-10 in the first game. There was never an ounce of doubt in his shots. Coach Irwansyah has been helping him tactically. And they had a long chat yesterday. If you also look at Ayush's defence today, Shi is one of the best players in the world to have variations from everywhere. From the back of the court, from the net. So Ayush was ready for it. He was really good with his defence," he added. What next for Ayush Shetty? After overcoming his biggest challenge in first round itself, Shetty now faces Sri Lanka's Abeywickrama in the Round of 32 of men's singles on Wednesday (Aug 19). After the sensational win in the Round of 64, he's expected to move further in the competition without much trouble.

Shetty was the underdog in the match but kept his composure to overcome the world number 1 player to make a place in the Round of 32 with a 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 win over top seed Shi Yu Qi.

BWF World Championships 2026: How Ayush Shetty overcame Shi Yu Qi challenge in Round of 64

India’s rising star Ayush Shetty assured India of a medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, with a 23-21, 21-17 win over World No. 4 and Olympian Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the men’s singles quarterfinals on Friday (April 10). The 21-year-old, who had won the BWF World Junior Championships bronze medal in 2023, displayed remarkable composure under pressure as he saved two game points in the opening game, missed one himself before pocketing the game 23-21.<h2>Ayush continues stellar run</h2>The second game saw both players level scores multiple times before Shetty nosed ahead at 10-9. From there, the Indian maintained his lead and closed out the match 21-17 in 54 minutes and set up a semi-final clash against world no. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;Ayush hasn’t dropped a game in the tournament so far and has been enjoying a stellar run. Earlier in the tournament, Shetty knocked out China's Li Shi Feng, World no. 7, in straight sets, before repeating the trick against Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen in the pre-quarters.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;Shetty will next face the winner of the clash between World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn and China’s Weng Hong Yang, runner-up at the China Masters 2025. If he continues the impressive run, he could become youngest Indian to win the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Thursday, in women’s singles, PV Sindhu bowed out after a hard-fought match against World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto lost to World No. 4 Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia. Unnati Hooda and HS Prannoy also exited the tournament.

Ayush Shetty, who had won the BWF World Junior Championships bronze medal in 2023, displayed remarkable composure under pressure as he saved two game points in the opening game, missed one himself before pocketing the game 23-21.

India’s rising star Ayush Shetty assured India of a medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, with a 23-21, 21-17 win over World No. 4 and Olympian Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the men’s singles quarterfinals on Friday (April 10). The 21-year-old, who had won the BWF World Junior Championships bronze medal in 2023, displayed remarkable composure under pressure as he saved two game points in the opening game, missed one himself before pocketing the game 23-21. Ayush continues stellar run The second game saw both players level scores multiple times before Shetty nosed ahead at 10-9. From there, the Indian maintained his lead and closed out the match 21-17 in 54 minutes and set up a semi-final clash against world no. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Ayush hasn’t dropped a game in the tournament so far and has been enjoying a stellar run. Earlier in the tournament, Shetty knocked out China's Li Shi Feng, World no. 7, in straight sets, before repeating the trick against Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen in the pre-quarters. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Shetty will next face the winner of the clash between World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn and China’s Weng Hong Yang, runner-up at the China Masters 2025. If he continues the impressive run, he could become youngest Indian to win the tournament. On Thursday, in women’s singles, PV Sindhu bowed out after a hard-fought match against World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto lost to World No. 4 Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia. Unnati Hooda and HS Prannoy also exited the tournament.

Ayush Shetty, who had won the BWF World Junior Championships bronze medal in 2023, displayed remarkable composure under pressure as he saved two game points in the opening game, missed one himself before pocketing the game 23-21.

Badminton Asia Championships: India's Ayush Shetty topples World No.4 Jonatan Christie to reach semis

In a remarkable achievement, 17-year old Unnati Hooda made a stunning debut at the World Tour Super 1000 level by reaching the quarter-finals of the China Open in her very first appearance at the tournament. Unnati reached the last eight after beating former world champion PV Sindhu 21-16, 19-21 and 21-13. This was only the second time that Unnati was facing Sindhu. She will now face former world no. 1 Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals. As a result of this win, Unnati will break into the top 30 of the world rankings next week.&nbsp;Unnati Hooda, speaking on her win over PV Sindhu, in the China Open said, "Playing against PV Sindhu is always a challenge, and today's match was no exception. The rallies were long and grueling, but I managed to stay focused and composed under pressure. I'm happy of the way I gave it my all and won. It was a great test for me, and I'm looking forward to the next one."&nbsp;PV Sindhu, who had registered a big win over Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki in her opening match - her first win over a top-10 ranked player this year - failed to continue the winning momentum. After levelling the match by winning the second game 21-19, the 30-year-old was unable to match Hooda's pace and shot selection in the deciding game. Hooda, who had previously beaten Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour 21-11, 21-16, became the youngest Indian woman to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open.&nbsp;With her win on over the two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Gilmour, the 17-year-old has became only the third Indian, after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, to win a Superseries/Superseries Premier/World Tour 1000 before turning 18.&nbsp;Meanwhile, India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, continued their winning momentum at the China Open 2025, a BWF Super 1000 tournament, to book a place in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The world no. 12 duo delivered another composed performance, edging past Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana 21-19, 21-19 in straight games, underlining their strong title aspirations. In men’s singles, HS Prannoy played against world no. 6 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei but finished his campaign after a hard-fought encounter.

Teenage sensation Unnati Hooda makes stunning debut at China Open, shows PV Sindhu the exit door

In a remarkable achievement, 17-year old Unnati Hooda made a stunning debut at the World Tour Super 1000 level by reaching the quarter-finals of the China Open in her very first appearance at the tournament. Unnati reached the last eight after beating former world champion PV Sindhu 21-16, 19-21 and 21-13. This was only the second time that Unnati was facing Sindhu. She will now face former world no. 1 Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals. As a result of this win, Unnati will break into the top 30 of the world rankings next week. Unnati Hooda, speaking on her win over PV Sindhu, in the China Open said, "Playing against PV Sindhu is always a challenge, and today's match was no exception. The rallies were long and grueling, but I managed to stay focused and composed under pressure. I'm happy of the way I gave it my all and won. It was a great test for me, and I'm looking forward to the next one." PV Sindhu, who had registered a big win over Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki in her opening match - her first win over a top-10 ranked player this year - failed to continue the winning momentum. After levelling the match by winning the second game 21-19, the 30-year-old was unable to match Hooda's pace and shot selection in the deciding game. Hooda, who had previously beaten Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour 21-11, 21-16, became the youngest Indian woman to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open. With her win on over the two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Gilmour, the 17-year-old has became only the third Indian, after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, to win a Superseries/Superseries Premier/World Tour 1000 before turning 18. Meanwhile, India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, continued their winning momentum at the China Open 2025, a BWF Super 1000 tournament, to book a place in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The world no. 12 duo delivered another composed performance, edging past Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana 21-19, 21-19 in straight games, underlining their strong title aspirations. In men’s singles, HS Prannoy played against world no. 6 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei but finished his campaign after a hard-fought encounter.

Earlier, Unnati produced a stunning performance to knock out veteran Scottish shuttler Kirsty Gilmour in straight games. The 17-year-old showed exceptional composure and skill to win 21-11, 21-16 in just 36 minutes

The Indian men's badminton team started its campaign in the Thomas Cup mens team competition with a commanding 5-0 win against the Netherlands in a Group C encounter. 
 
With the team returning to full strength with the return of the top doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth back to form following a few disappointments in the Sudirman Cup, India cruised to victory on Sunday night.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uber-cup-saina-nehwal-retires-with-injury-against-spain-419636">Uber Cup: Saina Nehwal retires with injury against Spain</a> 
 
Kidambi Srikanth set the ball rolling by handing Joran Kweekel a 21-12, 21-14 defeat in the match played on Sunday night. 
 
Rankireddy and Shetty then took to the court and made the score 2-0 with a 21-19, 21-12 win against Ruben Jille and Ties van der Lecq of the Netherlands. 
 
B Sai Praneeth then sealed victory for India by beating Robin Mesman 21-4, 21-12.` 
 
India's second doubles pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, which had a couple of good outings in the recent Sudirman Cup, made it 4-0 with a 21-12, 21-13 win against Andy Buijk and Brian Wassink of the Netherlands before Sameer Verma completed the clean sweep by beating Gijs Duijs 21-6, 21-11.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uber-cup-2021-resilient-india-defeat-spain-by-3-2-419653">Uber Cup 2021: Resilient India defeat Spain by 3-2</a> 
 
India are in Group C with China, the Netherlands and Tahiti as their opponents. The top two teams will qualify for the knockout rounds of the 16-team competition. 
 
China too had started with a 5-0 rout of Tahiti on Sunday night.

The Indian men's badminton team started its campaign in the Thomas Cup mens team competition with a commanding 5-0 win against the Netherlands in a Group C encounter.

The Indian men's badminton team started its campaign in the Thomas Cup mens team competition with a commanding 5-0 win against the Netherlands in a Group C encounter. With the team returning to full strength with the return of the top doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth back to form following a few disappointments in the Sudirman Cup, India cruised to victory on Sunday night. ALSO READ: Uber Cup: Saina Nehwal retires with injury against Spain Kidambi Srikanth set the ball rolling by handing Joran Kweekel a 21-12, 21-14 defeat in the match played on Sunday night. Rankireddy and Shetty then took to the court and made the score 2-0 with a 21-19, 21-12 win against Ruben Jille and Ties van der Lecq of the Netherlands. B Sai Praneeth then sealed victory for India by beating Robin Mesman 21-4, 21-12.` India's second doubles pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, which had a couple of good outings in the recent Sudirman Cup, made it 4-0 with a 21-12, 21-13 win against Andy Buijk and Brian Wassink of the Netherlands before Sameer Verma completed the clean sweep by beating Gijs Duijs 21-6, 21-11. ALSO READ: Uber Cup 2021: Resilient India defeat Spain by 3-2 India are in Group C with China, the Netherlands and Tahiti as their opponents. The top two teams will qualify for the knockout rounds of the 16-team competition. China too had started with a 5-0 rout of Tahiti on Sunday night.

Thomas Cup: India blank Netherlands 5-0 in the opener

Defending champion PV Sindhu sailed into the quarterfinals but newly-crowned National champions Saina Nehwal and H S Prannoy crashed out of the China Open Super Series Premier, in Fuzhou on Thursday.

World No 2 Sindhu emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the event after she made quick work of China&#39;s Han Yue 21-15 21-13, an opponent ranked at 104 in BWF ranking, in a lop- sided 40-minute women&#39;s singles match.

Olympic silver medallist Sindhu will clash with another Chinese qualifier Gao Fangjie on Friday.

It turned out to be a dismal day for Saina and Prannoy, who had clinched the National championship titles at Nagpur earlier this month.

While Saina lost 18-21 11-21 against her Japanese nemesis and fifth seed Akane Yamaguchi in the women&#39;s singles second round, world no. 11 Prannoy was stunned by 53rd ranked Cheuk Yiu Lee of Hong Kong 21-19 21-17 in the men&#39;s singles event.

For Saina, the match against Yamaguchi was always expected to be a tricky one considering her inferior head-to- head record against the Japanese.

Before the start of today&#39;s match, Saina trailed Yamaguchi one to three in head-to-head record with their three previous results going in the Japanese favour and the trend continued.

Saina, thus, suffered her fourth defeat - three of them in last one month - against Yamaguchi this year.

The London Olympic bronze-medallist, who won the title here in 2014, got off to a good start, taking a slender 11-9 lead but Yamaguchi fought back to pocket the first game 21-18.

Down by a game, Saina&#39;s game started to deteriorate. She lacked momentum in the second game and never looked in the mental frame to make a comeback, even as Yamaguchi comfortably took control of the proceedings.

The Japanese never looked in trouble after taking the first game and did not fall behind for a single moment in the second as she sealed the match with consummate ease in just 37 minutes.

Later in the day, world no 11 Prannoy went down fighting to less-fancied Lee in a second round clash that lasted 42 minutes.

The encounter started with both Prannoy and Lee exchanging quick early points before the Hong Kong shuttler raced to a two-point lead.

Prannoy tried to stage a comeback but Lee took an 11-9 lead at the interval.

After the break, Prannoy tried hard to shift the momentum but never really managed to achieve that as Lee took the first game 21-19.

Prannoy played his heart out and took a slender one-point lead (11-10) at the break in the second game.

But after the break, exhaustion seemed to have caught up Prannoy as the Indian struggled, enabling Lee to make a comeback and finally wrap up the contest 21-17.

World No 2 Sindhu emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the event after she made quick work of China's Han Yue 21-15 21-13, an opponent ranked at 104 in BWF ranking, in a lop- sided 40-minute women's singles match.

Defending champion PV Sindhu sailed into the quarterfinals but newly-crowned National champions Saina Nehwal and H S Prannoy crashed out of the China Open Super Series Premier, in Fuzhou on Thursday. World No 2 Sindhu emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the event after she made quick work of China's Han Yue 21-15 21-13, an opponent ranked at 104 in BWF ranking, in a lop- sided 40-minute women's singles match. Olympic silver medallist Sindhu will clash with another Chinese qualifier Gao Fangjie on Friday. It turned out to be a dismal day for Saina and Prannoy, who had clinched the National championship titles at Nagpur earlier this month. While Saina lost 18-21 11-21 against her Japanese nemesis and fifth seed Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles second round, world no. 11 Prannoy was stunned by 53rd ranked Cheuk Yiu Lee of Hong Kong 21-19 21-17 in the men's singles event. For Saina, the match against Yamaguchi was always expected to be a tricky one considering her inferior head-to- head record against the Japanese. Before the start of today's match, Saina trailed Yamaguchi one to three in head-to-head record with their three previous results going in the Japanese favour and the trend continued. Saina, thus, suffered her fourth defeat - three of them in last one month - against Yamaguchi this year. The London Olympic bronze-medallist, who won the title here in 2014, got off to a good start, taking a slender 11-9 lead but Yamaguchi fought back to pocket the first game 21-18. Down by a game, Saina's game started to deteriorate. She lacked momentum in the second game and never looked in the mental frame to make a comeback, even as Yamaguchi comfortably took control of the proceedings. The Japanese never looked in trouble after taking the first game and did not fall behind for a single moment in the second as she sealed the match with consummate ease in just 37 minutes. Later in the day, world no 11 Prannoy went down fighting to less-fancied Lee in a second round clash that lasted 42 minutes. The encounter started with both Prannoy and Lee exchanging quick early points before the Hong Kong shuttler raced to a two-point lead. Prannoy tried to stage a comeback but Lee took an 11-9 lead at the interval. After the break, Prannoy tried hard to shift the momentum but never really managed to achieve that as Lee took the first game 21-19. Prannoy played his heart out and took a slender one-point lead (11-10) at the break in the second game. But after the break, exhaustion seemed to have caught up Prannoy as the Indian struggled, enabling Lee to make a comeback and finally wrap up the contest 21-17.

China Open: PV Sindhu enter quarters; Saina, Prannoy crash out

Seasoned shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa is impressed with the progress made by India&#39;s doubles players on the Pro circuit but says they will take some time to develop into world beaters.

Of late, doubles players have produced some good results with new pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sen entering the quarterfinals in Super Series tournaments in Korea and France and mixed combo of Pranaav Chopra and N Sikki Reddy reaching the semifinals at Japan Open.

&quot;I think doubles is on the right track. But it will take time. Doubles takes time,&quot; said Ashwini, who won two titles at the just-concluded Senior National Championship.

&quot;Doubles have to train together, have to see how two players combine, while as a single player doesn&#39;t have to go through so much change. But doubles are on right track, Chirag and Satwik are doing well, Pranaav and Sikki doing well. It gives confidence and motivates all the players,&quot; she added.

It was double delight for Ashwini yesterday as she won the mixed doubles title with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and women&#39;s doubles trophy with N Sikki Reddy.

&quot;It feels good (to win). For a long time not all the top players were playing. This time we had all playing, so it was one of a kind Nationals. For me, it was special because I had never won a mixed doubles title before,&quot; Ashwini said.

&quot;I won women&#39;s doubles with Jwala (Gutta) in the past but I never had a mixed doubles partner, so it was a first for me and it really felt good especially because Sikki and Pranaav are more experienced than we are right now.

&quot;They are in good shape, they had some good results in last one year, so it was a confidence booster. It was a National which everyone wanted to win since all top players were there and it was nicely hosted,&quot; added Ashwini, who had bagged the women&#39;s title twice with Jwala in 2009 and 2013.

The 28-year-old from Bangalore is one of the most experienced doubles players in the country. She had won the 2011 World Championship bronze with Jwala and also bagged the Commonwealth Games gold and silver in the last two editions at New Delhi and Glasgow.

Ashwini is hoping to be third time lucky but reckoned it will be a challenge.

&quot;I definitely want to go and win a medal again next year at the Commonwealth Games. I think it will be a big challenge for everyone because all will be coming to win,&quot; she said.

&quot;Every tournament we play from now will be a practice to work on our game and get some good results before the Commonwealth Games. I hope our performance will be better than the past,&quot; Ashwini, who had earlier paired up with B Sumeeth Reddy and reached the finals at Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January, said.

Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15 next year.&nbsp;

Seasoned shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa is impressed with the progress made by India's doubles players on the Pro circuit but says they will take some time to develop into world beaters.

Seasoned shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa is impressed with the progress made by India's doubles players on the Pro circuit but says they will take some time to develop into world beaters. Of late, doubles players have produced some good results with new pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sen entering the quarterfinals in Super Series tournaments in Korea and France and mixed combo of Pranaav Chopra and N Sikki Reddy reaching the semifinals at Japan Open. "I think doubles is on the right track. But it will take time. Doubles takes time," said Ashwini, who won two titles at the just-concluded Senior National Championship. "Doubles have to train together, have to see how two players combine, while as a single player doesn't have to go through so much change. But doubles are on right track, Chirag and Satwik are doing well, Pranaav and Sikki doing well. It gives confidence and motivates all the players," she added. It was double delight for Ashwini yesterday as she won the mixed doubles title with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and women's doubles trophy with N Sikki Reddy. "It feels good (to win). For a long time not all the top players were playing. This time we had all playing, so it was one of a kind Nationals. For me, it was special because I had never won a mixed doubles title before," Ashwini said. "I won women's doubles with Jwala (Gutta) in the past but I never had a mixed doubles partner, so it was a first for me and it really felt good especially because Sikki and Pranaav are more experienced than we are right now. "They are in good shape, they had some good results in last one year, so it was a confidence booster. It was a National which everyone wanted to win since all top players were there and it was nicely hosted," added Ashwini, who had bagged the women's title twice with Jwala in 2009 and 2013. The 28-year-old from Bangalore is one of the most experienced doubles players in the country. She had won the 2011 World Championship bronze with Jwala and also bagged the Commonwealth Games gold and silver in the last two editions at New Delhi and Glasgow. Ashwini is hoping to be third time lucky but reckoned it will be a challenge. "I definitely want to go and win a medal again next year at the Commonwealth Games. I think it will be a big challenge for everyone because all will be coming to win," she said. "Every tournament we play from now will be a practice to work on our game and get some good results before the Commonwealth Games. I hope our performance will be better than the past," Ashwini, who had earlier paired up with B Sumeeth Reddy and reached the finals at Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January, said. Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15 next year.

Badminton: Doubles players will take time to become world beaters, says Ashwini Ponnappa

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PV Sindhu Reaches World Championships Round Of 16 As Lakshya Sen Suffers Shock Exit

BWF World Championships 2026: How Shetty overcame Yu Qi challenge in Round of 64

India's Ayush Shetty topples World No.4 Jonatan Christie to reach semis

Unnati Hooda makes stunning debut at China Open, beats PV Sindhu

Thomas Cup: India blank Netherlands 5-0 in the opener

China Open: PV Sindhu enter quarters; Saina, Prannoy crash out

Badminton: Doubles players will take time to become world beaters, says Ashwini Ponnappa