Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth announced his retirement from the sport on Monday (March 4). Praneeth, a world championship bronze medallist, cited injury concerns and a 'demanding schedule' as two important factors for his sudden retirement ahead of the Paris Olympics which get&nbsp;underway later this year. The 32-year-old&nbsp;became the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to clinch a bronze medal in the BWF World Championships in 2019. He achieved the feat after Prakash Padukone did so in 1983. The shuttler was honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award in the same year as well.

Taking to his official handle on X, formerly known as Twitter, Praneeth shared a lengthy note while announcing his decision to step aside from the sport as a player. Here is the post:

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Dear Badminton , Thank you 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/FuMDDKPMmM">pic.twitter.com/FuMDDKPMmM</a>
— Sai Praneeth (@saiprneeth92) <a href="https://twitter.com/saiprneeth92/status/1764670037233709187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/paris-olympics-is-going-to-be-challenging-need-to-be-smarter-indias-star-shuttler-pv-sindhu-688460">Paris Olympics will be challenging, need to be smarter, says India's star shuttler PV Sindhu</a>

Soon after his retirement, he spoke at length about his decision to The Hindu. He said, "There is no specific reason but I felt the way I had to struggle last year because of a combination of factors including injuries, I thought I cannot cope with the demanding schedule of playing sometimes two matches in a day in some of the majors. Well, age is also a factor. At 32, I could have played at the most another one year. So, I took the call after discussing it with my parents and my wife (Sweta). There are no regrets at all."

Reflecting on his highs and lows, Praneeth said, "Well, losing in the first round of 2020 Olympics has been the biggest disappointment while winning the 2019 World Championship bronze and the Singapore Open should be the high points of my career. Looking back at the journey, I am quite satisfied with my contribution to Indian badminton and I hope I will be remembered as a special player in a group which really dominated the world stage."

He added, "Beating the likes of Lee Chong Wei in 2016 All England in the first round and some of the big names like Chen Long, Taufik Hidayat and Lin Dan are great memories for sure. Frankly, I feel I have done what I could in the long career. Yes, I could have won some big tournaments and then the script would have been different."

Praneeth concluded by saying, "I do believe even if there can be a gap once our group of players (the others being K. Srikanth, H.S. Prannoy, P. Kashyap, Sameer Varma) quit the sport. Yes, there are some real good players like Lakshya (Sen) and Priyanshu. I hope they will continue the legacy."

In recent years, Praneeth's progress has been halted due to regular injury concerns. Thus, this prompted him to step aside but he still has a lot to offer and it will be interesting to see how he contributes in whatever new role he takes up going ahead.

Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth announced his retirement from the sport on Monday (March 4). Praneeth, a world championship bronze medallist, cited injury concerns and a 'demanding schedule' as two important factors for his sudden retirement ahead of the Paris Olympics which get underway later this year.

Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth announced his retirement from the sport on Monday (March 4). Praneeth, a world championship bronze medallist, cited injury concerns and a 'demanding schedule' as two important factors for his sudden retirement ahead of the Paris Olympics which get underway later this year. The 32-year-old became the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to clinch a bronze medal in the BWF World Championships in 2019. He achieved the feat after Prakash Padukone did so in 1983. The shuttler was honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award in the same year as well. Taking to his official handle on X, formerly known as Twitter, Praneeth shared a lengthy note while announcing his decision to step aside from the sport as a player. Here is the post: Dear Badminton , Thank you 🙏 pic.twitter.com/FuMDDKPMmM — Sai Praneeth (@saiprneeth92) March 4, 2024 × Also read: Paris Olympics will be challenging, need to be smarter, says India's star shuttler PV Sindhu Soon after his retirement, he spoke at length about his decision to The Hindu. He said, "There is no specific reason but I felt the way I had to struggle last year because of a combination of factors including injuries, I thought I cannot cope with the demanding schedule of playing sometimes two matches in a day in some of the majors. Well, age is also a factor. At 32, I could have played at the most another one year. So, I took the call after discussing it with my parents and my wife (Sweta). There are no regrets at all." Reflecting on his highs and lows, Praneeth said, "Well, losing in the first round of 2020 Olympics has been the biggest disappointment while winning the 2019 World Championship bronze and the Singapore Open should be the high points of my career. Looking back at the journey, I am quite satisfied with my contribution to Indian badminton and I hope I will be remembered as a special player in a group which really dominated the world stage." He added, "Beating the likes of Lee Chong Wei in 2016 All England in the first round and some of the big names like Chen Long, Taufik Hidayat and Lin Dan are great memories for sure. Frankly, I feel I have done what I could in the long career. Yes, I could have won some big tournaments and then the script would have been different." Praneeth concluded by saying, "I do believe even if there can be a gap once our group of players (the others being K. Srikanth, H.S. Prannoy, P. Kashyap, Sameer Varma) quit the sport. Yes, there are some real good players like Lakshya (Sen) and Priyanshu. I hope they will continue the legacy." In recent years, Praneeth's progress has been halted due to regular injury concerns. Thus, this prompted him to step aside but he still has a lot to offer and it will be interesting to see how he contributes in whatever new role he takes up going ahead.

Badminton: World championship bronze medallist Sai Praneeth announces retirement

Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu defeated her American opponent of Indian origin Disha Gupta while Lakshya Sen began his men's singles campaign with a convincing win over Finland's Kalle Koljonen at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament here. In another men's singles match, S Sankar Subramanian, who had entered the main draw of the tournament after two tough qualifying matches, defeated his tricky Irish opponent Nhat Nguyen 21-11, 21-16 in the first round.

However, B Sai Praneeth lost to 23-year-old world No. 7 Chinese player Li Shi Feng after a gruelling match that lasted three games. Sindhu defeated Diksha 21-15, 21-12 in just 27 minutes to enter the second round, while Lakshya beat his Finnish opponent 21-8, 21-16 in less than 30 minutes.

Sankar though was tested by his Irish opponent Nhat Nguyen before winning 21-11, 21-16 in 44 minites, while Praneeth gave a tough fight to second seed Shi Feng before going down 16-21, 21-14, 21-19 in one hour and 14 minutes. In another women's singles match, India's 61-ranked player Ruthvika Shivani went down to Lin Hsiang Ti of Chinese-Taipei 14-21, 11-21.

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On Tuesday, former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap retired midway into his second match after trailing 21-23 7-11 against Koo Takahashi of Japan. He had won his first match against England's Rohan Midha 21-19, 21-17. Men's doubles pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala, however, couldn't cross the opening round losing 14-21, 14-21 to Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu Chieh and Su Li Wei. 
The BWF World Tour is divided into six levels, namely World Tour Finals, four Super 1000, six Super 750, seven Super 500, and 11 Super 300.

One other category of the tournament, the BWF Tour Super 100 level, also offers ranking points.

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Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu defeated her American opponent of Indian origin Disha Gupta while Lakshya Sen began his men's singles campaign with a convincing win over Finland's Kalle Koljonen at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament here.

Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu defeated her American opponent of Indian origin Disha Gupta while Lakshya Sen began his men's singles campaign with a convincing win over Finland's Kalle Koljonen at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament here. In another men's singles match, S Sankar Subramanian, who had entered the main draw of the tournament after two tough qualifying matches, defeated his tricky Irish opponent Nhat Nguyen 21-11, 21-16 in the first round. However, B Sai Praneeth lost to 23-year-old world No. 7 Chinese player Li Shi Feng after a gruelling match that lasted three games. Sindhu defeated Diksha 21-15, 21-12 in just 27 minutes to enter the second round, while Lakshya beat his Finnish opponent 21-8, 21-16 in less than 30 minutes. Sankar though was tested by his Irish opponent Nhat Nguyen before winning 21-11, 21-16 in 44 minites, while Praneeth gave a tough fight to second seed Shi Feng before going down 16-21, 21-14, 21-19 in one hour and 14 minutes. In another women's singles match, India's 61-ranked player Ruthvika Shivani went down to Lin Hsiang Ti of Chinese-Taipei 14-21, 11-21. Also Read: BAN-W vs IND-W: Bangladesh avoid T20I series whitewash vs Harmanpreet & Co., win final tie by four wickets On Tuesday, former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap retired midway into his second match after trailing 21-23 7-11 against Koo Takahashi of Japan. He had won his first match against England's Rohan Midha 21-19, 21-17. Men's doubles pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala, however, couldn't cross the opening round losing 14-21, 14-21 to Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu Chieh and Su Li Wei. The BWF World Tour is divided into six levels, namely World Tour Finals, four Super 1000, six Super 750, seven Super 500, and 11 Super 300. One other category of the tournament, the BWF Tour Super 100 level, also offers ranking points. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Badminton: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen win openers; Sai Praneeth bows out in US Open

Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth suffered a shock defeat at the hands of fellow Indian Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar in the men's singles second round at the Vietnam Open Super 100 badminton tournament here on Wednesday. A former World Championships bronze medallist, Praneeth, who has been struggling for form for the last one year, lost 21-17 18-21 13-21 to Satish Kumar to make another early exit from a tournament.

Satish Kumar, who had finished runner-up at Bangladesh International Challenge in December last year, will now face Malaysia's Ong Ken Yon next. In other results in the men's singles, Meiraba Luwang Maisnam eked out a thrilling 21-16 18-21 21-14 win over Malaysia's Kok Jing Hong to set up a fight with Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen, who beat India's eighth seed Mithun Manjunath 21-17 21-7 in another match. 
S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian also notched up an sensational win over Indonesian veteran Tommy Sugiarto 14-21 22-20 21-12 in the second round. He will next meet Chinese Chia Hao, who defeated India's Raghu Mariswamy 21-16 21-15 in a lop-sided contest.

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Harshit Aggarwal defeated Mongolia's Batdavaa Munkhbat 21-15 21-13 to be pitted against Japan's third seed Kodai Naraoka in the third round. Kiran Kumar Mekala saw off Myanmar's Phone Pyae Naing 16-21 21-14 21-19 and will face Malaysia's Cheam June Wei next.

In the women's singles, Ruthvika Shivani Gadde progressed to the pre-quarterfinals after getting a walkover from his opponent and will face Vietnam's Thi Trang (B) Vu next. Prerana Neeluri will meet top seed Aya Ohori of Japan in the second round after she opened her campaign with a 21-16 21-14 win over local player Thi Ngoc Lan Nguyen.

Ira Sharma and Rituparna Das also made it to the second round with straight game wins. While Ira beat Vietnam's Thi Anh Tran 21-13 21-14, Rituparna defeated another Vietnamese in Bich Phuong Bhi 21-12 21-17.

Mixed doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Rohan Kapoor advanced to the second round after beating compatriots Hariharan Amsakarunan and SS Lakshmi Priyanka Subramanian 14-21 21-9 21-12. 
Another Indian pair of Bokka Navaneeth and Priya Konjengbam also progressed to the second round.

Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth suffered a shock defeat at the hands of fellow Indian Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar in the men's singles second round at the Vietnam Open Super 100 badminton tournament here on Wednesday.

Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth suffered a shock defeat at the hands of fellow Indian Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar in the men's singles second round at the Vietnam Open Super 100 badminton tournament here on Wednesday. A former World Championships bronze medallist, Praneeth, who has been struggling for form for the last one year, lost 21-17 18-21 13-21 to Satish Kumar to make another early exit from a tournament. Satish Kumar, who had finished runner-up at Bangladesh International Challenge in December last year, will now face Malaysia's Ong Ken Yon next. In other results in the men's singles, Meiraba Luwang Maisnam eked out a thrilling 21-16 18-21 21-14 win over Malaysia's Kok Jing Hong to set up a fight with Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen, who beat India's eighth seed Mithun Manjunath 21-17 21-7 in another match. S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian also notched up an sensational win over Indonesian veteran Tommy Sugiarto 14-21 22-20 21-12 in the second round. He will next meet Chinese Chia Hao, who defeated India's Raghu Mariswamy 21-16 21-15 in a lop-sided contest. ALSO READ | World Wrestling Championships to offer fewer quotas for Paris Olympics, World Qualifier gets more: UWW Harshit Aggarwal defeated Mongolia's Batdavaa Munkhbat 21-15 21-13 to be pitted against Japan's third seed Kodai Naraoka in the third round. Kiran Kumar Mekala saw off Myanmar's Phone Pyae Naing 16-21 21-14 21-19 and will face Malaysia's Cheam June Wei next. In the women's singles, Ruthvika Shivani Gadde progressed to the pre-quarterfinals after getting a walkover from his opponent and will face Vietnam's Thi Trang (B) Vu next. Prerana Neeluri will meet top seed Aya Ohori of Japan in the second round after she opened her campaign with a 21-16 21-14 win over local player Thi Ngoc Lan Nguyen. Ira Sharma and Rituparna Das also made it to the second round with straight game wins. While Ira beat Vietnam's Thi Anh Tran 21-13 21-14, Rituparna defeated another Vietnamese in Bich Phuong Bhi 21-12 21-17. Mixed doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Rohan Kapoor advanced to the second round after beating compatriots Hariharan Amsakarunan and SS Lakshmi Priyanka Subramanian 14-21 21-9 21-12. Another Indian pair of Bokka Navaneeth and Priya Konjengbam also progressed to the second round.

Vietnam Open: India's B Sai Praneeth bows out after defeat in second round

Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run, trouncing Danish Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in straight games to progress to the men's singles second round at BWF World Championships here on Monday.

India also registered twin wins in women's and mixed doubles competition on the opening day which saw B Sai Praneeth bow out after losing in three games to world number 4 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei.

The 20-year-old Sen, who had returned with a bronze on his debut in Spain last year, prevailed 21-12 21-11 over an erratic Vittinghus in his opening match. Praneeth, a 2019 bronze medallist, earlier put up a brave effort before going down 15-21 21-15 15-21 to Chen in little over an hour.

It was yet another forgettable outing in Tokyo for Praneeth, following his struggles at last year's Olympic Games, where he participated without a proper coach or physio to bow out early.

However, former Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy progressed to the women's doubles second round with a 21-7 21-9 win over Maldives' Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bwf-world-championships-2022-india-squad-schedule-draw-and-live-streaming-details-508894">BWF World Championships 2022: India squad, schedule, complete draw and live streaming details</a>

Ashwini and Sikki will face an uphill task of taming top seeds Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan of China in the second round. In mixed doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ishaan Bhatnagar defeated German duo of Patrick Scheiel and Franziska Volkmann 21-13 21-13 in 29 minutes to also make a positive start to their campaign.

The Indian pair will meet 14th seeds Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran of Thailand next. Lakshya, seeded ninth, played some exceptional cross court returns from deep forehand to trouble the 36-year-old Danish, who had come into the match with a 2-1 head-to-head count against the Indian.

There was no lack of effort from the veteran Danish, but he couldn't stop Lakshya from running away with the opening game, with the Indian always staying a step ahead.

A relentless Vittinghus kept testing the Indian by engaging him in fast-paced rallies, one of which was of 31 shots, but Lakshya used his winners to finish them off or the Danish miscued.

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In the mid-game interval of second game, Lakshya again managed a four-point advantage after Vittinghus sent one wide, and slapped his head in frustration. At 11-15, Vittinghus made Lakshya twist and turn with his angled returns to win a point, but he was too erratic to put any pressure on his opponent.

Soon, five straight points took Lakshya to match points and he sealed it with a smash. Among others, B Sumeeth Reddy and Manu Attri lost 11-21 21-19 15-21 to Masayuki Onodera and Hiroki Okamura in men's doubles.

In women's singles, Malvika Bansod also bowed out in the opening round after losing 14-21 12-21 to Denmark's Line Christophersen. 
&nbsp;

Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run, trouncing Danish Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in straight games to progress to the men's singles second round at BWF World Championships here on Monday.

Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run, trouncing Danish Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in straight games to progress to the men's singles second round at BWF World Championships here on Monday. India also registered twin wins in women's and mixed doubles competition on the opening day which saw B Sai Praneeth bow out after losing in three games to world number 4 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. The 20-year-old Sen, who had returned with a bronze on his debut in Spain last year, prevailed 21-12 21-11 over an erratic Vittinghus in his opening match. Praneeth, a 2019 bronze medallist, earlier put up a brave effort before going down 15-21 21-15 15-21 to Chen in little over an hour. It was yet another forgettable outing in Tokyo for Praneeth, following his struggles at last year's Olympic Games, where he participated without a proper coach or physio to bow out early. However, former Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy progressed to the women's doubles second round with a 21-7 21-9 win over Maldives' Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq. Also Read: BWF World Championships 2022: India squad, schedule, complete draw and live streaming details Ashwini and Sikki will face an uphill task of taming top seeds Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan of China in the second round. In mixed doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ishaan Bhatnagar defeated German duo of Patrick Scheiel and Franziska Volkmann 21-13 21-13 in 29 minutes to also make a positive start to their campaign. The Indian pair will meet 14th seeds Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran of Thailand next. Lakshya, seeded ninth, played some exceptional cross court returns from deep forehand to trouble the 36-year-old Danish, who had come into the match with a 2-1 head-to-head count against the Indian. There was no lack of effort from the veteran Danish, but he couldn't stop Lakshya from running away with the opening game, with the Indian always staying a step ahead. A relentless Vittinghus kept testing the Indian by engaging him in fast-paced rallies, one of which was of 31 shots, but Lakshya used his winners to finish them off or the Danish miscued. Also Read: FIFA's ban on AIFF likely to be lifted soon as Supreme Court dissolves CoA In the mid-game interval of second game, Lakshya again managed a four-point advantage after Vittinghus sent one wide, and slapped his head in frustration. At 11-15, Vittinghus made Lakshya twist and turn with his angled returns to win a point, but he was too erratic to put any pressure on his opponent. Soon, five straight points took Lakshya to match points and he sealed it with a smash. Among others, B Sumeeth Reddy and Manu Attri lost 11-21 21-19 15-21 to Masayuki Onodera and Hiroki Okamura in men's doubles. In women's singles, Malvika Bansod also bowed out in the opening round after losing 14-21 12-21 to Denmark's Line Christophersen.

BWF World Championships 2022: Lakshya Sen advances to 2nd round, Sai Praneeth, Malvika Bansod crash out

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu stormed into the quarter-finals of the ongoing Malaysia Masters 2022 on Thursday. In the Round of 16 match, Sindhu defeated China`s Zhang Yiman 21-12, 21-10, in a game that lasted 28 minutes, here at Court 3. The Indian shuttler completely dominated the proceedings in both rounds and made her way into the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, shuttler B Sai Praneeth bowed out of the tournament after losing in the Round of 16, men`s singles clash.Playing at Court 4, Praneeth lost against China`s Li Shifeng 21-14, 21-17, in a match that lasted 42 minutes.Later in the day, HS Prannoy will be going up against Taiwan`s Wang Tzu-Wei in men`s singles clash.&nbsp;

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu stormed into the quarter-finals of the ongoing Malaysia Masters 2022 on Thursday. In the Round of 16 match, Sindhu defeated China`s Zhang Yiman 21-12, 21-10, in a game that lasted 28 minutes, here at Court 3.

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu stormed into the quarter-finals of the ongoing Malaysia Masters 2022 on Thursday. In the Round of 16 match, Sindhu defeated China`s Zhang Yiman 21-12, 21-10, in a game that lasted 28 minutes, here at Court 3. The Indian shuttler completely dominated the proceedings in both rounds and made her way into the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, shuttler B Sai Praneeth bowed out of the tournament after losing in the Round of 16, men`s singles clash.Playing at Court 4, Praneeth lost against China`s Li Shifeng 21-14, 21-17, in a match that lasted 42 minutes.Later in the day, HS Prannoy will be going up against Taiwan`s Wang Tzu-Wei in men`s singles clash.

Malaysia Masters 2022: PV Sindhu enters quarter-finals with easy win; Sai Praneeth bows out

India shuttlers B. Sai Praneeth and Dhruv Rawat have pulled out of the upcoming India Open after testing COVID-19 positive, the Badminton Association of India confirmed on Sunday. Their RTPCR tests before travelling for Delhi came positive.

In a statement, BAI informed: "Sai Praneeth and Dhruv Rawat have tested positive and their name have been withdrawn from the tournament.

Their RTPCR test before travelling for Delhi has come positive. "Earlier in the day, BAI also informed that the England badminton contingent will not be part of the India Open after the country`s doubles player Sean Vendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for COVID-19.

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Organizers also added that players who were tested at the hotel this morning as per protocol have come negative. The 11th edition of the India Open, which is making a return after a two-year break due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will be played at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.

The USD 400,000 prize money Super 500 event, which will kickstart the 2022 BWF World Tour season is scheduled from January 11-16 in New Delhi.&nbsp;

India shuttlers B. Sai Praneeth and Dhruv Rawat have pulled out of the upcoming India Open after testing COVID-19 positive, the Badminton Association of India confirmed on Sunday.

India shuttlers B. Sai Praneeth and Dhruv Rawat have pulled out of the upcoming India Open after testing COVID-19 positive, the Badminton Association of India confirmed on Sunday. Their RTPCR tests before travelling for Delhi came positive. In a statement, BAI informed: "Sai Praneeth and Dhruv Rawat have tested positive and their name have been withdrawn from the tournament. Their RTPCR test before travelling for Delhi has come positive. "Earlier in the day, BAI also informed that the England badminton contingent will not be part of the India Open after the country`s doubles player Sean Vendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for COVID-19. Read Also | Novak Djokovic's medical exemption didn't guarantee him entry in Australia, says government Organizers also added that players who were tested at the hotel this morning as per protocol have come negative. The 11th edition of the India Open, which is making a return after a two-year break due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will be played at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. The USD 400,000 prize money Super 500 event, which will kickstart the 2022 BWF World Tour season is scheduled from January 11-16 in New Delhi.

Shuttlers Sai Praneeth, Dhruv Rawat pull out of India Open after testing COVID positive

India shuttler B. Sai Praneeth on Friday crashed out of the ongoing Indonesia Open after a straight-sets defeat in the men`s singles quarterfinals.

Playing it at Court 1, Olympic champion and former world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Praneeth by 21-12, 21-8 in just 36 minutes.

The Indian shuttler was never able to gain momentum as the second-seed Viktor took the first game without any resistance. Danish player then continued his demolition of the Indian and took the second game by 21-8.

Axelsen will now clash with the sixth-seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia for the place in the final.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indonesia-open-pv-sindhu-survives-scare-to-beat-south-koreas-sim-yujin-enters-semis-432091">Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu survives scare to beat South Korea's Sim Yujin, enters semis</a>

Earlier in the day, the Indian men's pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated the team of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin from Malaysia by 21-19, 21-19 in a closely contested battle at Court 2 in 43 minutes.

Elsewhere, the two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu rallied back to defeat South Korea`s Sim Yujin by 14-21, 21-19, 21-14 in a titanic one hour and six minutes match.&nbsp;

India shuttler B. Sai Praneeth on Friday crashed out of the ongoing Indonesia Open after a straight-sets defeat in the men`s singles quarterfinals. Playing it at Court 1, Olympic champion and former world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Praneeth by 21-12, 21-8 in just 36 minutes.

India shuttler B. Sai Praneeth on Friday crashed out of the ongoing Indonesia Open after a straight-sets defeat in the men`s singles quarterfinals. Playing it at Court 1, Olympic champion and former world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Praneeth by 21-12, 21-8 in just 36 minutes. The Indian shuttler was never able to gain momentum as the second-seed Viktor took the first game without any resistance. Danish player then continued his demolition of the Indian and took the second game by 21-8. Axelsen will now clash with the sixth-seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia for the place in the final. ALSO READ: Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu survives scare to beat South Korea's Sim Yujin, enters semis Earlier in the day, the Indian men's pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated the team of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin from Malaysia by 21-19, 21-19 in a closely contested battle at Court 2 in 43 minutes. Elsewhere, the two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu rallied back to defeat South Korea`s Sim Yujin by 14-21, 21-19, 21-14 in a titanic one hour and six minutes match.

Indonesia Open: Viktor Axelsen beat Sai Praneeth in straight sets

India's two-time Olympic medal-winning shuttler P V Sindhu came back from a game down to beat South Korea's Sim Yujin and enter the semifinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament here on Friday.

Third seed Sindhu, the reigning world champion, had to toil hard to get the better of Yujin 14-21 21-19 21-14 in the quarterfinal that lasted an hour and six minutes.

The Indian will now play the winner of the other quarterfinal between Japan's Asuka Takahashi and second seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the USD 850,000 event.

The other India in fray, B Sai Praneeth will play Olympic champion and former world No.1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the men's singles quarterfinals later in the day.

Praneeth, world no.16, staved off a spirited fight from France's world no 70 Christo Popov, claiming a 21-17 14-21 21-19 win in a gruelling second round match on Thursday.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indonesia-open-pv-sindhu-sails-into-quarters-after-beating-germanys-yvonne-li-in-straight-sets-431841">Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu sails into quarters after beating Germany's Yvonne Li in straight sets</a>

India's challenge also exists in the men's doubles event where the sixth seeded pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked 11, will square off against the Malaysian combination of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the quarterfinals later on Friday.

It was not smooth sailing from Sindhu against Yujin. The Indian started confidently racing to a 7-1 lead before the Japanese pocketed six straight points to draw the first game level.

But once Yujin took a slender 11-10 lead at the break, she didn't look back and won the game comfortably to grab the early momentum.

The Japanese continued in the same vein in the second game and matched Sindhu stroke for stroke till the first seven points before the Indian upped her game.

Sindhu displayed better control and authority over her strokes and engaged her rival in long rallies to surge ahead 14-8 before Yujin fought back.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pv-sindhu-set-to-contest-bwf-athletes-commission-election-in-december-431337">PV Sindhu set to contest BWF Athletes' Commission election in December</a>

Sindhu used her vast experience and held her nerves to draw the contest level.

In the decider, Sindhu enjoyed the early exchanges to race to a comfortable 11-4 lead but the Japanese secured seven consecutive points to make it 11-11.

Sensing trouble, Sindhu took her game to the next level just at the right time to outwit her rival and seal the match in her favour.&nbsp;

India's two-time Olympic medal-winning shuttler P V Sindhu came back from a game down to beat South Korea's Sim Yujin and enter the semifinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament here on Friday.

India's two-time Olympic medal-winning shuttler P V Sindhu came back from a game down to beat South Korea's Sim Yujin and enter the semifinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament here on Friday. Third seed Sindhu, the reigning world champion, had to toil hard to get the better of Yujin 14-21 21-19 21-14 in the quarterfinal that lasted an hour and six minutes. The Indian will now play the winner of the other quarterfinal between Japan's Asuka Takahashi and second seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the USD 850,000 event. The other India in fray, B Sai Praneeth will play Olympic champion and former world No.1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the men's singles quarterfinals later in the day. Praneeth, world no.16, staved off a spirited fight from France's world no 70 Christo Popov, claiming a 21-17 14-21 21-19 win in a gruelling second round match on Thursday. ALSO READ: Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu sails into quarters after beating Germany's Yvonne Li in straight sets India's challenge also exists in the men's doubles event where the sixth seeded pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked 11, will square off against the Malaysian combination of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the quarterfinals later on Friday. It was not smooth sailing from Sindhu against Yujin. The Indian started confidently racing to a 7-1 lead before the Japanese pocketed six straight points to draw the first game level. But once Yujin took a slender 11-10 lead at the break, she didn't look back and won the game comfortably to grab the early momentum. The Japanese continued in the same vein in the second game and matched Sindhu stroke for stroke till the first seven points before the Indian upped her game. Sindhu displayed better control and authority over her strokes and engaged her rival in long rallies to surge ahead 14-8 before Yujin fought back. ALSO READ: PV Sindhu set to contest BWF Athletes' Commission election in December Sindhu used her vast experience and held her nerves to draw the contest level. In the decider, Sindhu enjoyed the early exchanges to race to a comfortable 11-4 lead but the Japanese secured seven consecutive points to make it 11-11. Sensing trouble, Sindhu took her game to the next level just at the right time to outwit her rival and seal the match in her favour.

Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu survives scare to beat South Korea's Sim Yujin, enters semis

India’s PV Sindhu has been knocked out of the Thailand Open 2021 after losing her opening match against Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt 21-16, 24-26, 13-21 on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Sindhu failed to convert two match points as she loses to Mia Blichfeldt in the opening round of the Thailand Open in what was a disastrous start for the Olympic gold-medalist.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Furthermore, B Sai Praneeth was also knocked out from&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;Open after going down to&nbsp;Kantaphon&nbsp;Wangcharoen&nbsp;16-21, 10-21.&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, Ashwini&nbsp;Ponappa-Satwiksairaj&nbsp;Rankireddy&nbsp;advanced to the second round of mixed doubles after a stunning win over Indonesian duo of Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja. The Indian pair won the match 21-11, 27-29, 21-16.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-hamilton-to-ronaldo-athletes-who-tested-positive-for-covid-19-in-2020-352776" hreflang="en">From Hamilton to Ronaldo: Athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020</a>

Sindhu started the match well and won the first match with intensity while making Blichfeldt run hard. The Dane did sweat it out throughout the game but failed to get the momentum going. With Sindhu comfortably leading the second game, Blichfeldt stretched the game to 15-15, which made the Indian shuttler frustrated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nervousness crept it and was visible in Sindhu’s game as she tried hard to get her smashes but kept on hitting the nets. She also looked a bit fatigued.&nbsp;

Blichfeldt tightened up the screw in the third and final match as Sindhu kept on losing her legs. She missed some routine smashes and overhit a few&nbsp;as Blichfeldt closed on for a massive win against the world number seven.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/saina-nehwal-hs-prannoy-parupalli-kashyap-withdraw-for-thailand-open-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-356209" hreflang="en">Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy, Parupalli Kashyap withdraw for Thailand Open after testing positive for COVID-19</a>

Meanwhile, India’s Saina&nbsp;Nehwal, HS Prannoy and&nbsp;Parupalli&nbsp;Kashyap withdrew from the Thailand Open on&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of their opening match of Thailand Open. Both&nbsp;Nehwal&nbsp;and Kashyap were forced to give walkovers and have been admitted in a hospital for regulatory quarantine for 10 days.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India’s PV Sindhu has been knocked out of the Thailand Open 2021 after losing her opening match against Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt 21-16, 24-26, 13-21 on Tuesday. Sindhu failed to convert two match points as she loses to Mia Blichfeldt in the opening round of the Thailand Open in what was a disastrous start for the Olympic gold-medalist.

India’s PV Sindhu has been knocked out of the Thailand Open 2021 after losing her opening match against Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt 21-16, 24-26, 13-21 on Tuesday. Sindhu failed to convert two match points as she loses to Mia Blichfeldt in the opening round of the Thailand Open in what was a disastrous start for the Olympic gold-medalist. Furthermore, B Sai Praneeth was also knocked out from Thailand Open after going down to Kantaphon Wangcharoen 16-21, 10-21. However, Ashwini Ponappa-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy advanced to the second round of mixed doubles after a stunning win over Indonesian duo of Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja. The Indian pair won the match 21-11, 27-29, 21-16. ALSO READ: From Hamilton to Ronaldo: Athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 Sindhu started the match well and won the first match with intensity while making Blichfeldt run hard. The Dane did sweat it out throughout the game but failed to get the momentum going. With Sindhu comfortably leading the second game, Blichfeldt stretched the game to 15-15, which made the Indian shuttler frustrated. Nervousness crept it and was visible in Sindhu’s game as she tried hard to get her smashes but kept on hitting the nets. She also looked a bit fatigued. Blichfeldt tightened up the screw in the third and final match as Sindhu kept on losing her legs. She missed some routine smashes and overhit a few as Blichfeldt closed on for a massive win against the world number seven. ALSO READ: Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy, Parupalli Kashyap withdraw for Thailand Open after testing positive for COVID-19 Meanwhile, India’s Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy and Parupalli Kashyap withdrew from the Thailand Open on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of their opening match of Thailand Open. Both Nehwal and Kashyap were forced to give walkovers and have been admitted in a hospital for regulatory quarantine for 10 days.

Thailand Open: PV Sindhu, Sai Praneeth knocked out in 1st round

Badminton World Championship medallist and one of the top Indian shuttlers, Sai Praneeth, in an exclusive interview with WION's Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, opened up on life in lockdown, SOPs by Sports Authority of India for the resumption of training, social distancing in badminton, Tokyo Olympics and much more.

WION Sports Broadband Edition with top Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth

Badminton World Championship medallist and one of the top Indian shuttlers, Sai Praneeth, in an exclusive interview with WION's Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, opened up on life in lockdown, SOPs by Sports Authority of India for the resumption of training, social distancing in badminton, Tokyo Olympics and much more.

DSD:&nbsp;Good to see you hale and hearty sai, the roadblocks are gradually being lifted and for any sportsperson that must be a huge relief...

Sai Praneeth: I have been keeping well. Since I returned from the All England Championship in mid-March, I have not been outdoors to train. I have tried to make do with the resources I have at home, but that is obviously not enough for us athletes, so really looking forward to getting back to proper training.

DSD:&nbsp;How has this period been for you Sai, for someone who has a jet-setting lifestyle has there been some reflection...

Sai Praneeth: My schedule has been extremely busy for the last one and a half years, so this break has given me a chance to spend some quality time with my wife and parents. I don't think I'll get another break like this during my professional career. However, it's been two and a half months now and I hope to return to the court soon. Although we still have to be very cautious. Travel is a huge concern and if the BWF tour resumes, the federation must ensure that players feel safe while going to other countries. I hope a vaccine is developed soon and we can return to somewhat of a normal life.

DSD: India is slowly opening up but the cases continue to rise, are you facing a dilemma about returning to training?

Sai Praneeth: It is definitely going to be a challenge. The only thing we can do is be extremely vigilant and cautious while being outdoors. Life isn't going to be the same till a vaccine is developed and we have to figure out a way in which we can safely return to training till that happens. We need to open things up slowly and ensure we follow the health protocols put out by the government.

<img alt="Sai Praneeth" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7a78a025-2c8e-4b37-9981-2cee1b6ad03c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1JP6EC.jpg" />

DSD: Have you gone through the SOPs released by SAI yesterday…badminton is allowed to get underway but mostly outdoor, &nbsp;with only singles players playing indoors. What do you make of those guidelines?

Sai Praneeth: I'm not sure if outdoor training will be possible at the moment. Even while training indoors, we will have to be very careful as we're not sure what effect the air conditioner has on the spread of the virus. Apart from the sports authority of India, I hope the BWF also comes out with a statement soon and offers some clarity on the calendar.

DSD: Have you heard anything from national coach Pullela Gopichand on when the training can resume in Hyderabad?

Sai Praneeth: The central government has given the go-ahead to training, but right now the Telangana government has not opened up sports complexes. The state lockdown will continue till May 31, and then I think we will be able to get back to practice sometime during the first week of June. We have been in touch with Gopichand sir and he said he will take a call at the end of this lockdown period when stadiums and sports complexes are likely to be opened up.

DSD: Now the SOPs&nbsp;put the onus on the sportsperson Sai, of ensuring there is no contact between each other, also of being careful while being in gyms etc. Lets be honest to each other, is all of this possible in elite sport...

Sai Praneeth: It will certainly be very tough for us. Badminton is an individual sport, but players cannot practice in isolation. We need to interact with our trainers, physical coaches and of course play with our partners. Every player doesn't have a personal coach, so training sessions will have to be planned in a certain manner to ensure that we follow the safety protocols. For a proper training session to take place, the entire support staff needs to be present on the court. There is no doubt that the onus is on the players to be cautious but I'm not sure what options we have.

DSD: I have been to your practice sessions in Hyderabad and one important aspect of the success of Indian badminton has been the camaraderie between players and how each has pushed the other. Now if you aren't going to interact with your fellow players then will it be enjoyable training sessions...

Sai Praneeth: As&nbsp;I said earlier, it will be next to impossible to train without a considerable number of people on the court. Sometimes we train in a 'one vs three' situation which improves the sharpness in our game. Isolated training sessions might be enough for us to maintain our game, but it will not be enough to take our skills to the next level.

<img alt="Sai Praneeth" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2fc7c097-67a0-4ef8-abdb-3fba527d9198" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_NL4OO.jpg" />

DSD: Do you see skill levels going down considerably because of the lack of training and practice...

Sai Praneeth: I think we will get enough time to get back into the groove of things before the BWF calendar resumes, so there shouldn't be a substantial drop in the quality of play. I think we will need about 2-3 weeks to get back our fitness and endurance levels and about one month to get back in touch with our game. The good thing about this break is that players can recover from their injuries. The BWF calendar is so packed that players don't too often get the chance to fully get back in shape.

DSD: Let us look at the fitness part of it, basic sessions have been going on online but it's been two months without action on the courts. Badminton needs extreme levels of fitness and a lot of explosive power. That’s going to lead to injuries as well. How long will it take for you to return to those peak fitness levels?

Sai Praneeth: the first step towards rebuilding your fitness is regaining strength. If we start playing without properly strengthening our muscles, then the chances of getting injured are high. The first 2-3 weeks, I will be focussing on getting that strength back. Then we can start building our endurance levels and finally return to proper full-fledged on-court training. I don't think it will take that much time for us to find our touch again, because we have been playing the game for a long time. Once we start playing our strokes again, the muscle memory will kick in. Every player has a different process. After a couple of weeks of training, the players' bodies will start responding to the workouts and based on that, the subsequent planning can be done. I believe I will take about two or two and a half months to reach peak fitness levels.

DSD: With the Olympics pushed back by a year now and with the qualifying period frozen would you prefer to not play internationally this year if the season resumes...

Sai Praneeth: As of now there is no clarity on the Olympic qualification process, so it is difficult to take a call. The BWF might conduct the Olympic qualifying tournaments separately, independent of the world rankings. There is also a world championship next year, for which we need to retain our ranking to qualify. So, the BWF needs to come out with the qualifications process that will be followed for the Olympics for me to make a concrete decision.

DSD: Will players like you and others want to play in China this year, given with what has happened in the country, there are bound to be reservations about travelling...

Sai Praneeth: Yes, definitely. In fact, I would say I would be worried about travelling to any country. The risk of contracting the infection at the airports is high, so we need to be extra careful if travel is opened up. I don't see this concern going away till a vaccine is developed, till then that anxiety will always be there.

<img alt="Sai Praneeth" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e65927b-5f23-4ef8-9015-82eb6921590d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1JP6GP.jpg" />

DSD: Have you had conversations within your group about the possibility of having an international circuit if a vaccine is not found. Would you take that risk Sai?

Sai Praneeth: The situation is changing on a daily basis. I don't think we know what things will look like 2-3 months from now, so there's no point overthinking our schedule. Of course, till a vaccine is found, we will be extremely tense while travelling and we will have to be very selective in the tournaments we play if the tour resumes. Other than that, all we can do is hope for the best and pray that circumstances improve. All players in the world are in the same boat, the majority of the world is on lockdown and we are dealing with an unprecedented crisis.

DSD: You have a huge advantage when it comes to qualifying for the Olympics..how does your process now change with the postponement?

Sai Praneeth: If we just talk about the Olympics, I might skip a few tournaments because my position is reasonably secure. I will look to participate in the India Open and then travel for a few tournaments leading up to the Olympics next year. If I get selected for the Olympics, then I do have a considerable amount of time for the event, which will allow me to skip tournaments. But I also have to look at other tournaments which will affect my ranking.

DSD: Till about March this year, you were preparing for the Olympics that was just 4 months away, how do you now mentally refocus for the postponed games which are 14 months away?

Sai Praneeth: Till the BWF does not release the qualification calendar, it is difficult for me to mentally prepare for the games. There is still a lot of time for the event and I can only concentrate fully on the Olympics once my place at the event is 100% secure. The long-term goal is to play at the Tokyo Olympics next year, but there are other small-term goals that I might set for myself.

Badminton World Championship medallist and one of the top Indian shuttlers, Sai Praneeth, in an exclusive interview with WION's Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, opened up on life in lockdown, SOPs by Sports Authority of India for the resumption of training, social distancing in badminton, Tokyo Olympics and much more. DSD: Good to see you hale and hearty sai, the roadblocks are gradually being lifted and for any sportsperson that must be a huge relief... Sai Praneeth: I have been keeping well. Since I returned from the All England Championship in mid-March, I have not been outdoors to train. I have tried to make do with the resources I have at home, but that is obviously not enough for us athletes, so really looking forward to getting back to proper training. DSD: How has this period been for you Sai, for someone who has a jet-setting lifestyle has there been some reflection... Sai Praneeth: My schedule has been extremely busy for the last one and a half years, so this break has given me a chance to spend some quality time with my wife and parents. I don't think I'll get another break like this during my professional career. However, it's been two and a half months now and I hope to return to the court soon. Although we still have to be very cautious. Travel is a huge concern and if the BWF tour resumes, the federation must ensure that players feel safe while going to other countries. I hope a vaccine is developed soon and we can return to somewhat of a normal life. DSD: India is slowly opening up but the cases continue to rise, are you facing a dilemma about returning to training? Sai Praneeth: It is definitely going to be a challenge. The only thing we can do is be extremely vigilant and cautious while being outdoors. Life isn't going to be the same till a vaccine is developed and we have to figure out a way in which we can safely return to training till that happens. We need to open things up slowly and ensure we follow the health protocols put out by the government. DSD: Have you gone through the SOPs released by SAI yesterday…badminton is allowed to get underway but mostly outdoor, with only singles players playing indoors. What do you make of those guidelines? Sai Praneeth: I'm not sure if outdoor training will be possible at the moment. Even while training indoors, we will have to be very careful as we're not sure what effect the air conditioner has on the spread of the virus. Apart from the sports authority of India, I hope the BWF also comes out with a statement soon and offers some clarity on the calendar. DSD: Have you heard anything from national coach Pullela Gopichand on when the training can resume in Hyderabad? Sai Praneeth: The central government has given the go-ahead to training, but right now the Telangana government has not opened up sports complexes. The state lockdown will continue till May 31, and then I think we will be able to get back to practice sometime during the first week of June. We have been in touch with Gopichand sir and he said he will take a call at the end of this lockdown period when stadiums and sports complexes are likely to be opened up. DSD: Now the SOPs put the onus on the sportsperson Sai, of ensuring there is no contact between each other, also of being careful while being in gyms etc. Lets be honest to each other, is all of this possible in elite sport... Sai Praneeth: It will certainly be very tough for us. Badminton is an individual sport, but players cannot practice in isolation. We need to interact with our trainers, physical coaches and of course play with our partners. Every player doesn't have a personal coach, so training sessions will have to be planned in a certain manner to ensure that we follow the safety protocols. For a proper training session to take place, the entire support staff needs to be present on the court. There is no doubt that the onus is on the players to be cautious but I'm not sure what options we have. DSD: I have been to your practice sessions in Hyderabad and one important aspect of the success of Indian badminton has been the camaraderie between players and how each has pushed the other. Now if you aren't going to interact with your fellow players then will it be enjoyable training sessions... Sai Praneeth: As I said earlier, it will be next to impossible to train without a considerable number of people on the court. Sometimes we train in a 'one vs three' situation which improves the sharpness in our game. Isolated training sessions might be enough for us to maintain our game, but it will not be enough to take our skills to the next level. DSD: Do you see skill levels going down considerably because of the lack of training and practice... Sai Praneeth: I think we will get enough time to get back into the groove of things before the BWF calendar resumes, so there shouldn't be a substantial drop in the quality of play. I think we will need about 2-3 weeks to get back our fitness and endurance levels and about one month to get back in touch with our game. The good thing about this break is that players can recover from their injuries. The BWF calendar is so packed that players don't too often get the chance to fully get back in shape. DSD: Let us look at the fitness part of it, basic sessions have been going on online but it's been two months without action on the courts. Badminton needs extreme levels of fitness and a lot of explosive power. That’s going to lead to injuries as well. How long will it take for you to return to those peak fitness levels? Sai Praneeth: the first step towards rebuilding your fitness is regaining strength. If we start playing without properly strengthening our muscles, then the chances of getting injured are high. The first 2-3 weeks, I will be focussing on getting that strength back. Then we can start building our endurance levels and finally return to proper full-fledged on-court training. I don't think it will take that much time for us to find our touch again, because we have been playing the game for a long time. Once we start playing our strokes again, the muscle memory will kick in. Every player has a different process. After a couple of weeks of training, the players' bodies will start responding to the workouts and based on that, the subsequent planning can be done. I believe I will take about two or two and a half months to reach peak fitness levels. DSD: With the Olympics pushed back by a year now and with the qualifying period frozen would you prefer to not play internationally this year if the season resumes... Sai Praneeth: As of now there is no clarity on the Olympic qualification process, so it is difficult to take a call. The BWF might conduct the Olympic qualifying tournaments separately, independent of the world rankings. There is also a world championship next year, for which we need to retain our ranking to qualify. So, the BWF needs to come out with the qualifications process that will be followed for the Olympics for me to make a concrete decision. DSD: Will players like you and others want to play in China this year, given with what has happened in the country, there are bound to be reservations about travelling... Sai Praneeth: Yes, definitely. In fact, I would say I would be worried about travelling to any country. The risk of contracting the infection at the airports is high, so we need to be extra careful if travel is opened up. I don't see this concern going away till a vaccine is developed, till then that anxiety will always be there. DSD: Have you had conversations within your group about the possibility of having an international circuit if a vaccine is not found. Would you take that risk Sai? Sai Praneeth: The situation is changing on a daily basis. I don't think we know what things will look like 2-3 months from now, so there's no point overthinking our schedule. Of course, till a vaccine is found, we will be extremely tense while travelling and we will have to be very selective in the tournaments we play if the tour resumes. Other than that, all we can do is hope for the best and pray that circumstances improve. All players in the world are in the same boat, the majority of the world is on lockdown and we are dealing with an unprecedented crisis. DSD: You have a huge advantage when it comes to qualifying for the Olympics..how does your process now change with the postponement? Sai Praneeth: If we just talk about the Olympics, I might skip a few tournaments because my position is reasonably secure. I will look to participate in the India Open and then travel for a few tournaments leading up to the Olympics next year. If I get selected for the Olympics, then I do have a considerable amount of time for the event, which will allow me to skip tournaments. But I also have to look at other tournaments which will affect my ranking. DSD: Till about March this year, you were preparing for the Olympics that was just 4 months away, how do you now mentally refocus for the postponed games which are 14 months away? Sai Praneeth: Till the BWF does not release the qualification calendar, it is difficult for me to mentally prepare for the games. There is still a lot of time for the event and I can only concentrate fully on the Olympics once my place at the event is 100% secure. The long-term goal is to play at the Tokyo Olympics next year, but there are other small-term goals that I might set for myself.

Sai Praneeth: Isolated training impossible in badminton

World Championships bronze medalist Sai Praneeth crashed out of the China Open after losing to Indonesia's Anthony Ginting 21-16, 6-21, 16-21 in a quarter-final match on Friday.

Praneeth claimed the first game of the encounter. The second game was won by Ginting 21-6, a hefty margin, to make a comeback in the match.

In the third game, Ginting kept the momentum going and clinched the game and match that lasted for 55 minutes. India's challenge in the tournament ended after Praneeth's quarter-final exit.

Earlier in the day, reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin defeated China's He Bing Jiao 11-21, 21-14, 21-15 in a quarterfinal match to proceed to the semifinal of the tournament.

She will play against Japan's Sayaka Takahashi in the semifinal encounter on September 21.

World Championships bronze medalist Sai Praneeth crashed out of the China Open after losing to Indonesia's Anthony Ginting 21-16, 6-21, 16-21 in a quarter-final match on Friday.

World Championships bronze medalist Sai Praneeth crashed out of the China Open after losing to Indonesia's Anthony Ginting 21-16, 6-21, 16-21 in a quarter-final match on Friday. Praneeth claimed the first game of the encounter. The second game was won by Ginting 21-6, a hefty margin, to make a comeback in the match. In the third game, Ginting kept the momentum going and clinched the game and match that lasted for 55 minutes. India's challenge in the tournament ended after Praneeth's quarter-final exit. Earlier in the day, reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin defeated China's He Bing Jiao 11-21, 21-14, 21-15 in a quarterfinal match to proceed to the semifinal of the tournament. She will play against Japan's Sayaka Takahashi in the semifinal encounter on September 21.

China Open: Sai Praneeth loses to Anthony Ginting in quarter-final

Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth on Saturday faced a defeat at the hands of world number one Kento Momota 21-13, 21-8 in the semifinal match of the BWF World Championships.

Praneeth lost to the Japanese Momota in the two straight games that lasted for 42 minutes.

Praneeth's winning streak in the tournament comes to an end after this defeat.

Despite facing a loss, he settles with a bronze medal and became the second Indian after Prakash Padukone to win a medal in the World Championships.

Earlier in the day, Indian shuttler PV Sindhu defeated China's Chen Yu Fei 21-7, 21-14 to enter the finals of the tournament.

Sindhu brushed off the challenge in straight games, inside 39 minutes.

In the first game, Sindhu was too dominant for her Chinese opponent and she shrugged off the challenge easily, winning the first game 21-7.

The 24-year-old did not lose momentum in the second game and she kept on playing in an aggressive manner.

In the end, Sindhu came out triumphant in the second set, and as a result, she registered a win in the match.

Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth on Saturday faced a defeat at the hands of world number one Kento Momota 21-13, 21-8 in the semifinal match of the BWF World Championships.

Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth on Saturday faced a defeat at the hands of world number one Kento Momota 21-13, 21-8 in the semifinal match of the BWF World Championships. Praneeth lost to the Japanese Momota in the two straight games that lasted for 42 minutes. Praneeth's winning streak in the tournament comes to an end after this defeat. Despite facing a loss, he settles with a bronze medal and became the second Indian after Prakash Padukone to win a medal in the World Championships. Earlier in the day, Indian shuttler PV Sindhu defeated China's Chen Yu Fei 21-7, 21-14 to enter the finals of the tournament. Sindhu brushed off the challenge in straight games, inside 39 minutes. In the first game, Sindhu was too dominant for her Chinese opponent and she shrugged off the challenge easily, winning the first game 21-7. The 24-year-old did not lose momentum in the second game and she kept on playing in an aggressive manner. In the end, Sindhu came out triumphant in the second set, and as a result, she registered a win in the match.

BWF World Championships: Praneeth settles with bronze, loses to Kento Momota in semis

India's ace badminton star PV Sindhu Wednesday was knocked out of the first round of All England Championships on Wednesday with a 16-21, 22-20, 17-21 loss to South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun in Birmingham.&nbsp;

This was Sindhu's second straight loss to Sung Ji, with her previous loss coming in Hong Kong Open last year.

Sindhu never looked in her elements throughout the match as Sung Ji comfortably clinched the game.&nbsp;

The netizens had pinned high expectations from Sindhu as India has never won the All England since Pullela Gopichand in 2001.&nbsp;

Throughout the game, Sindhu was not patient enough in the rallies while Sung Ji showed patience and waited for her opportunities.

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There’s just something in the Birmingham air that PV Sindhu can’t quite master! Simply brilliant on the world tour but a R1 exit today.
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Meanwhile, B Sai Praneeth advanced to the second round of the tournament after knocking out his compatriot HS Prannoy in the first round.&nbsp;

Praneeth took 52 minutes to beat Prannoy 21-19, 21-19 to advance to the next round, where he will face Hong Kong's NG Ka Long Angus, who earlier beat Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia 21-18, 13-21, 21-11.

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It's <a href="https://twitter.com/saiprneeth92?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@saiprneeth92</a> who wins the all 🇮🇳 clash with <a href="https://twitter.com/PRANNOYHSPRI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PRANNOYHSPRI</a> as the men's singles action gets underway <a href="https://twitter.com/ArenaBirmingham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArenaBirmingham</a> 🏸<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YAE19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YAE19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/allengland19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#allengland19</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qo9sZYd3XD">https://t.co/Qo9sZYd3XD</a> 
 
📹&nbsp;Reaction 👇 <a href="https://t.co/6Eh958osC6">pic.twitter.com/6Eh958osC6</a>
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With the win, Praneeth equalled 2-2 with Prannoy in their head-to-head record. Praneeth had lost the last two encounters between the two in 2013 and 2011 but turned up with his best on Wednesday.

India's ace badminton star PV Sindhu Wednesday was knocked out of the first round of All England Championships on Wednesday with a 16-21, 22-20, 17-21 loss to South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun in Birmingham.

India's ace badminton star PV Sindhu Wednesday was knocked out of the first round of All England Championships on Wednesday with a 16-21, 22-20, 17-21 loss to South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun in Birmingham. This was Sindhu's second straight loss to Sung Ji, with her previous loss coming in Hong Kong Open last year. Sindhu never looked in her elements throughout the match as Sung Ji comfortably clinched the game. The netizens had pinned high expectations from Sindhu as India has never won the All England since Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Throughout the game, Sindhu was not patient enough in the rallies while Sung Ji showed patience and waited for her opportunities. There’s just something in the Birmingham air that PV Sindhu can’t quite master! Simply brilliant on the world tour but a R1 exit today. — Yonex All England (@YonexAllEngland) March 6, 2019 × Meanwhile, B Sai Praneeth advanced to the second round of the tournament after knocking out his compatriot HS Prannoy in the first round. Praneeth took 52 minutes to beat Prannoy 21-19, 21-19 to advance to the next round, where he will face Hong Kong's NG Ka Long Angus, who earlier beat Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia 21-18, 13-21, 21-11. It's @saiprneeth92 who wins the all 🇮🇳 clash with @PRANNOYHSPRI as the men's singles action gets underway @ArenaBirmingham 🏸#YAE19 #allengland19 https://t.co/Qo9sZYd3XD 📹 Reaction 👇 pic.twitter.com/6Eh958osC6 — Yonex All England (@YonexAllEngland) March 6, 2019 × With the win, Praneeth equalled 2-2 with Prannoy in their head-to-head record. Praneeth had lost the last two encounters between the two in 2013 and 2011 but turned up with his best on Wednesday.

All England Championships: Sindhu crashes out, Sai Praneeth beats Prannoy to enter Round 2

India's B.Sai Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Maulana Panji Ahmad in straight games in a one-sided men's singles clash at the Australian Open badminton tournament on Thursday.

The second-seeded Indian took just 32 minutes to register a comfortable 21-12, 21-14 victory against his unseeded opponent from Indonesia.

This was the second win on the trot for Praneeth in this tournament.

In another men's singles match on the day, India's Sameer Verma defeated Takuma Ueda of Japan in straight games.

The fourth-seeded Indian beat the unseeded Japanese 21-16, 21-12 in 37 minutes.

Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Maulana Panji Ahmad in straight games

India's B.Sai Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Maulana Panji Ahmad in straight games in a one-sided men's singles clash at the Australian Open badminton tournament on Thursday. The second-seeded Indian took just 32 minutes to register a comfortable 21-12, 21-14 victory against his unseeded opponent from Indonesia. This was the second win on the trot for Praneeth in this tournament. In another men's singles match on the day, India's Sameer Verma defeated Takuma Ueda of Japan in straight games. The fourth-seeded Indian beat the unseeded Japanese 21-16, 21-12 in 37 minutes.

Shuttler Sai Praneeth wins at Australian Open

Indian badminton player B. Sai Praneeth defeated Israel's Misha Zilberman in straight games in the opening round of the Australian Open badminton tournament on Wednesday.

The second-seeded Indian took only 45 minutes to chalk out a 21-17, 21-14 verdict over Zilberman.

Praneeth will meet Maulana Panji Ahmad of Indonesia in the next round on Thursday.

Praneeth faced resistance from his opponent in the early stages of the first game before opening up a five-point lead at 8-3.

The Israeli fought back to gradually reduce the gap to 14-16. But the Indian won four points on the trot to snatch away the momentum before closing out the game.

The second game also saw a tough contest in the opening stages before the Indian started to enjoy the upper hand.

Just like the opening game, Misha once again reduced the gap to 14-16 before Praneeth won five consecutive points to win the game and the match.

The second-seeded Indian took only 45 minutes to chalk out a 21-17, 21-14 verdict over Zilberman

Indian badminton player B. Sai Praneeth defeated Israel's Misha Zilberman in straight games in the opening round of the Australian Open badminton tournament on Wednesday. The second-seeded Indian took only 45 minutes to chalk out a 21-17, 21-14 verdict over Zilberman. Praneeth will meet Maulana Panji Ahmad of Indonesia in the next round on Thursday. Praneeth faced resistance from his opponent in the early stages of the first game before opening up a five-point lead at 8-3. The Israeli fought back to gradually reduce the gap to 14-16. But the Indian won four points on the trot to snatch away the momentum before closing out the game. The second game also saw a tough contest in the opening stages before the Indian started to enjoy the upper hand. Just like the opening game, Misha once again reduced the gap to 14-16 before Praneeth won five consecutive points to win the game and the match.

Shuttler Sai Praneeth advances at Australian Open

Saina Nehwal led the charge as Indian juggernaut continued to roll at the World Badminton Championship with Kidambi Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth entering the pre- quarterfinals of singles events, on Wednesday.

After Saina brushed aside the challenge of Sabrina Jaquet in straight games and Praneeth survived a scare from Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Srikanth steamrolled France&#39;s Lucas Corvee to keep India in the hunt for a medal.

In women&#39;s doubles second round matches, the pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy went down fighting against the second seed Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark 22-24, 21-17, 15-21. The other Indian pair Sanjana Santosh and Arathi Sara Sunil suffered straight games defeat 14-21, 15-21 at the hands of Bao Yixin and Yu Xiaohan of China.

Sameer Verma&#39;s campaign ended with a second round 20-22, 9-21 defeat against England&#39;s Rajiv Ouseph whereas Ajay Jayaram got the better of Mark Caljouw of Netherlands 21-13, 21-18 to enter pre-quarterfinals. 
London Olympics bronze medalist Saina hardly broke a sweat as she cruised past her Swiss rival 21-11, 21-12 in just 33 minutes.

&quot;It was a tricky match I felt. Sabrina is a formidable opponent but I am happy that I overpowered her nicely in the match,&quot; 12th seed Saina said after the match.

&quot;I think it is always tough to play first round but once you get used to the conditions, it gets better and better.&quot;

Saina will next take on second seed Sung Ji Hyun, who defeated India&#39;s Tanvi Lad 21-9, 21-19. The 2010 Commonwealth Games champion has a 7-2 head-to-head record against the Korean and most recently she beat her at the Australian Open in June.

World No 8 Srikanth also dished out a clinical performance, beating Lucas 21-9, 21-17 to set up a clash with 14th seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark on Thursday.

Earlier, Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth bounced back from a game down to outwit World No 26 Indonesian Anthony 14-21, 21-18, 21-19 that lasted an hour and 12 minutes.

&quot;It was a very tough match. The shuttles were really slow and so the rallies went longer. I was getting caught initially and he was playing very fast. I could not match him initially but slowly adjusted to his speed. He is a tough player and his game has improved a lot since I last played him.

&quot;I am really happy to win and now I am focused on my next match,&quot; added the World No. 19 Praneeth will take on either Germany&#39;s Marc Zwiebler or Chinese Taipei&#39;s Chou Tien Chen tomorrow.

A silver medalist at Jakarta edition in 2015, Saina, who received a bye in the opening round, stamped her authority right from the start as she zoomed to a 4-0 lead before making it 11-6.

The Swiss tried her bit and came as close as 9-13 before Saina reeled off five straight points and eventually wrapped the opening game in 14 minutes.

In the second game, Saina once again opened up a 5-2 lead and had a 11-7 advantage at the interval. The Indian did not take the foot off the pedal and dished out a series of body smashes to surge to victory.

On the adjacent court, Praneeth was facing the fire of Anthony, who cruised to a 8-0 lead and then jumped to a 16-6 advantage. The gap was too much for Praneeth to bridge as he lost the first game.

The Indian got his bearing back and put up a better effort in the second game, reaching a 7-4 and 11-9 advantage at the break.

Leading 14-12, Praneeth had to take a medical timeout and when the game resumed, Anthony managed to grab a slender 16-15 lead but the Indian did not let the opportunity slip as he soon turned the tables on his rival to roar back into contest.

In the decider, Praneeth opened up a 6-2 lead but Anthony managed to grab a 11-9 lead at the breather. After the interval, Anthony managed to surge to a 18-12 advantage.

But a gritty Praneeth erased a six-point deficit to grab two match point advantage at 20-18. Anthony saved one but the Indian sealed it next to reach the next round.

Srikanth, on the other hand, didn&#39;t have much issue getting past Lucas.

The 24-year-old from Guntur split the initial 10 points with Lucas, before changing gears to hold a 11-6 lead. The Indian used his prcise smashes to good use to accumulate points, moving to a 19-9 advantage.

He moved to game point when Lucas faltered with a return at forecourt. The French shuttler then attempted a drop which found the net as Srikanth won the first game in 12 minutes.

Srikanth brought more power to his smashes and precision to his returns to once again surge to 11-7 lead in the second game. Lucas erased the deficit and clawed back at 15-15 but the Indian soon moved ahead and sealed the issue when his rival went wide.

&nbsp;

After Saina brushed aside the challenge of Sabrina Jaquet in straight games and Praneeth survived a scare from Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Srikanth steamrolled France's Lucas Corvee to keep India in the hunt for a medal

Saina Nehwal led the charge as Indian juggernaut continued to roll at the World Badminton Championship with Kidambi Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth entering the pre- quarterfinals of singles events, on Wednesday. After Saina brushed aside the challenge of Sabrina Jaquet in straight games and Praneeth survived a scare from Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Srikanth steamrolled France's Lucas Corvee to keep India in the hunt for a medal. In women's doubles second round matches, the pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy went down fighting against the second seed Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark 22-24, 21-17, 15-21. The other Indian pair Sanjana Santosh and Arathi Sara Sunil suffered straight games defeat 14-21, 15-21 at the hands of Bao Yixin and Yu Xiaohan of China. Sameer Verma's campaign ended with a second round 20-22, 9-21 defeat against England's Rajiv Ouseph whereas Ajay Jayaram got the better of Mark Caljouw of Netherlands 21-13, 21-18 to enter pre-quarterfinals. London Olympics bronze medalist Saina hardly broke a sweat as she cruised past her Swiss rival 21-11, 21-12 in just 33 minutes. "It was a tricky match I felt. Sabrina is a formidable opponent but I am happy that I overpowered her nicely in the match," 12th seed Saina said after the match. "I think it is always tough to play first round but once you get used to the conditions, it gets better and better." Saina will next take on second seed Sung Ji Hyun, who defeated India's Tanvi Lad 21-9, 21-19. The 2010 Commonwealth Games champion has a 7-2 head-to-head record against the Korean and most recently she beat her at the Australian Open in June. World No 8 Srikanth also dished out a clinical performance, beating Lucas 21-9, 21-17 to set up a clash with 14th seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark on Thursday. Earlier, Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth bounced back from a game down to outwit World No 26 Indonesian Anthony 14-21, 21-18, 21-19 that lasted an hour and 12 minutes. "It was a very tough match. The shuttles were really slow and so the rallies went longer. I was getting caught initially and he was playing very fast. I could not match him initially but slowly adjusted to his speed. He is a tough player and his game has improved a lot since I last played him. "I am really happy to win and now I am focused on my next match," added the World No. 19 Praneeth will take on either Germany's Marc Zwiebler or Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen tomorrow. A silver medalist at Jakarta edition in 2015, Saina, who received a bye in the opening round, stamped her authority right from the start as she zoomed to a 4-0 lead before making it 11-6. The Swiss tried her bit and came as close as 9-13 before Saina reeled off five straight points and eventually wrapped the opening game in 14 minutes. In the second game, Saina once again opened up a 5-2 lead and had a 11-7 advantage at the interval. The Indian did not take the foot off the pedal and dished out a series of body smashes to surge to victory. On the adjacent court, Praneeth was facing the fire of Anthony, who cruised to a 8-0 lead and then jumped to a 16-6 advantage. The gap was too much for Praneeth to bridge as he lost the first game. The Indian got his bearing back and put up a better effort in the second game, reaching a 7-4 and 11-9 advantage at the break. Leading 14-12, Praneeth had to take a medical timeout and when the game resumed, Anthony managed to grab a slender 16-15 lead but the Indian did not let the opportunity slip as he soon turned the tables on his rival to roar back into contest. In the decider, Praneeth opened up a 6-2 lead but Anthony managed to grab a 11-9 lead at the breather. After the interval, Anthony managed to surge to a 18-12 advantage. But a gritty Praneeth erased a six-point deficit to grab two match point advantage at 20-18. Anthony saved one but the Indian sealed it next to reach the next round. Srikanth, on the other hand, didn't have much issue getting past Lucas. The 24-year-old from Guntur split the initial 10 points with Lucas, before changing gears to hold a 11-6 lead. The Indian used his prcise smashes to good use to accumulate points, moving to a 19-9 advantage. He moved to game point when Lucas faltered with a return at forecourt. The French shuttler then attempted a drop which found the net as Srikanth won the first game in 12 minutes. Srikanth brought more power to his smashes and precision to his returns to once again surge to 11-7 lead in the second game. Lucas erased the deficit and clawed back at 15-15 but the Indian soon moved ahead and sealed the issue when his rival went wide.

World Badminton Championship: Saina Nehwal, Sai Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth enter pre-quarters

Promising Indian shuttler B Sai Praneeth clinched his maiden Super Series title at the Singapore Open after defeating compatriot K Srikanth in a historic all-Indian final here today.

World number 30 Praneeth, who had won the Canada Open Grand Prix last year and reached the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold final this year, outmaneuvered Srikanth 17-21 21-17 21-12 in the summit clash of the USD 350,000 event.

&quot;It&#39;s always difficult to play someone with whom you play everyday. I am very happy to win today. The way I played in the tournament, I&#39;m very happy. The support here for the Indians has also been very nice,&quot; an overwhelmed Praneeth said after the 54-minute clash.

It was the first time in the history of international badminton that two Indians were playing a Super Series final and it turned out to be a thrilling contest.

The two trainees of the Gopichand academy exploited every chink that they were aware of in each other&#39;s game.

In the first game, Srikanth played some angled shots to set up his points and then used his accurate smashes to seal them. He gathered many points on Praneeth&#39;s forehand with his brilliant returns.

Srikanth started with two lame returns but as the game progressed, he showed his class to outmaneuver his compatriot.

The duo didn&#39;t go for long rallies and varied the pace with their repertoire of strokes.

It was Srikanth who grabbed an 11-7 advantage during the first break with a cross-court smash which Praneeth couldn&#39;t return despite a full stretch dive.

Praneeth too made Srikanth run for every point before closing in to make it 14-15.

Srikanth did not relent either and came up with down the line smashes to grab five game points.

In the second game, Srikanth rushed to a 4-1 lead but Praneeth clawed back at 7-7. The duo, which trains together at the Gopichand Academy, moved neck-and-neck till 10-10 before Praneeth grabbed a one-point advantage with Srikanth hitting wide.

Praneeth continued to dominate the proceedings and moved to a 20-17 lead when Srikanth made a service error. He then roared back into the contest when his compatriot hit wide.

In the decider, Praneeth carried the momentum and surged to a 7-3 lead which he consolidated to 11-5 at the break. It was another towering smash on Srikanth&#39;s backhand which gave him the lead.

The change of court didn&#39;t break Praneeth&#39;s rhythm as he continued to trouble Srikanth with his array of strokes and better net-play.

In the end, a drop shot gave Praneeth a 19-12 lead and Srikanth handed him the match point when he hit wide. Praneeth made it count to seal his first Super Series title when his compatriot again hit wide.

Ever since bursting onto the scene by winning the bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2010, Praneeth has managed to outwit some accomplished shuttlers such as former All England Champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia, former Olympic and World champion Taufik Hidayat and World No.1 Lee Chong Wei.

But a win eluded him as he battled with a series of injuries to make early exits. However, things brightened up last year when he won in Canada.

(PTI)

This was the first time two Indians were playing in a final of a Super Series event

Promising Indian shuttler B Sai Praneeth clinched his maiden Super Series title at the Singapore Open after defeating compatriot K Srikanth in a historic all-Indian final here today. World number 30 Praneeth, who had won the Canada Open Grand Prix last year and reached the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold final this year, outmaneuvered Srikanth 17-21 21-17 21-12 in the summit clash of the USD 350,000 event. "It's always difficult to play someone with whom you play everyday. I am very happy to win today. The way I played in the tournament, I'm very happy. The support here for the Indians has also been very nice," an overwhelmed Praneeth said after the 54-minute clash. It was the first time in the history of international badminton that two Indians were playing a Super Series final and it turned out to be a thrilling contest. The two trainees of the Gopichand academy exploited every chink that they were aware of in each other's game. In the first game, Srikanth played some angled shots to set up his points and then used his accurate smashes to seal them. He gathered many points on Praneeth's forehand with his brilliant returns. Srikanth started with two lame returns but as the game progressed, he showed his class to outmaneuver his compatriot. The duo didn't go for long rallies and varied the pace with their repertoire of strokes. It was Srikanth who grabbed an 11-7 advantage during the first break with a cross-court smash which Praneeth couldn't return despite a full stretch dive. Praneeth too made Srikanth run for every point before closing in to make it 14-15. Srikanth did not relent either and came up with down the line smashes to grab five game points. In the second game, Srikanth rushed to a 4-1 lead but Praneeth clawed back at 7-7. The duo, which trains together at the Gopichand Academy, moved neck-and-neck till 10-10 before Praneeth grabbed a one-point advantage with Srikanth hitting wide. Praneeth continued to dominate the proceedings and moved to a 20-17 lead when Srikanth made a service error. He then roared back into the contest when his compatriot hit wide. In the decider, Praneeth carried the momentum and surged to a 7-3 lead which he consolidated to 11-5 at the break. It was another towering smash on Srikanth's backhand which gave him the lead. The change of court didn't break Praneeth's rhythm as he continued to trouble Srikanth with his array of strokes and better net-play. In the end, a drop shot gave Praneeth a 19-12 lead and Srikanth handed him the match point when he hit wide. Praneeth made it count to seal his first Super Series title when his compatriot again hit wide. Ever since bursting onto the scene by winning the bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2010, Praneeth has managed to outwit some accomplished shuttlers such as former All England Champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia, former Olympic and World champion Taufik Hidayat and World No.1 Lee Chong Wei. But a win eluded him as he battled with a series of injuries to make early exits. However, things brightened up last year when he won in Canada. (PTI)

Sai Praneeth outlasts Srikanth to lift Singapore Open

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi &nbsp;inaugurated India&#39;s longest road tunnel connecting the Kashmir Valley with Jammu on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday afternoon.

The 10.9 km-long Chenani-Nashri tunnel&nbsp;will reduce distance between the two places&nbsp;by 31 km.&nbsp; 
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> live from J&amp;K: PM Narendra Modi takes a view of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel <a href="https://t.co/JWXgDREe5t">https://t.co/JWXgDREe5t</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/848484391328202753">April 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Chenani-Nashri Tunnel - An Engineering marvel<a href="https://t.co/4PFTpc0lwR">https://t.co/4PFTpc0lwR</a>
&mdash; Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) <a href="https://twitter.com/nitin_gadkari/status/848530257925652481">April 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Chenani-Nashri Tunnel will have a transformative impact on Jammu &amp; Kashmir&rsquo;s progress. The tunnel is truly world class. <a href="https://t.co/JxCPl8QIdC">pic.twitter.com/JxCPl8QIdC</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/848535294676795392">April 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The tunnel, which bypasses the snow-bound upper reaches of the Valley, will reduce the journey time between Jammu and Srinagar by two hours and provide a safe, all-weather route to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur to Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar.

The prime minister drew a contrast between &quot;misguided&quot;&nbsp;stone-pelters who have been clashing with security forces and &quot;the youth of Kashmir who are using the same stones to build infrastructure&quot;.&nbsp;He praised the &quot;2,500 youth of Jammu and Kashmir who&nbsp;have toiled hard to make this tunnel a reality&quot;.

&quot;On one hand, some misguided youth pelt stones in Kashmir, on the other hand, the same stones are carved by other youth to build infrastructure,&quot; PM Modi said&nbsp;while addressing a rally in&nbsp;Udhampur&#39;s Battal Balian. 
 
&quot;The path of terrorism has neither helped anyone or never will,&quot; he said.

Measures have been taken to safeguard the Himayalas and the environment, the prime minister assured.

He said the tunnel would &quot;change the fortunes of the Valley&#39;s farmers&quot;, since their produce will not rot due to road closures.

The prime minister arrived in a special plane at the airfield at Udhampur, where the headquarters of the army&#39;s Northern Command are located. He flew in an army helicopter to Chenani where he inaugurated the tunnel&nbsp;that connects the Udhampur and Ramban districts on the highway.

The tunnel will save fuel worth nearly Rs 99 crores a year. &quot;Rs. 27 lakh worth of fuel is likely to be saved per day,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office said earlier.

The PMO added that&nbsp;the tunnel &quot;is an alternative all weather route&quot;.

&quot;It is an alternative to the highway which often closes at the time of snow and rains. It will boost trade and increase revenue in the state. It will also help boost tourism,&quot; the PMO said. 
 
It is equipped with world-class security systems, and is expected to boost tourism and economic activities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, senior ministers of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Council Chairman Haji Inayat Ali and top army, police and civil administration officials welcomed PM Modi when he arrived in Udhampur.

The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is India&#39;s first and the world&#39;s sixth tunnel to have a&nbsp;transverse ventilation system, which provides fresh air to passengers. 
 
In such long tunnels, ventilation systems are essential to maintain clean air, permissible carbon dioxide levels and expel harmful vehicle emissions.

The tunnel, constructed at a cost of Rs. 2,519 crore, will ensure a safe and swift passage for commuters, even in adverse weather conditions.&nbsp;

The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is among the longest highway tunnels in Asia. The tunnel, at an altitude of 1,200 meters, is a part of National Highway Authority of India&#39;s (NHAI&#39;s) project between Jammu and Srinagar, along the National Highway 44.

The key features of the tunnel are that it is a single-tube bi-directional tunnel, with a 9.35-metre carriageway, and a vertical clearance of 5 metres.

There is also a parallel escape tunnel, with &#39;Cross Passages&#39; connecting to the main tunnel at intervals of 300 metres.

It also has smart features such as an Integrated Traffic Control System; Surveillance, Ventilation and Broadcast Systems; Fire Fighting System; and SOS call-boxes at every 150 metres.

Technologically, this is one of the most advanced road tunnels built in the country, surmounting challenges of terrain and distance, Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director, ABB India, which has built the ventilation system&nbsp;said. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest road tunnel connecting the Kashmir Valley with Jammu on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday afternoon. The 10.9 km-long Chenani-Nashri tunnel will reduce distance between the two places by 31 km. #WATCH live from J&K: PM Narendra Modi takes a view of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel https://t.co/JWXgDREe5t — ANI (@ANI_news) April 2, 2017 × Chenani-Nashri Tunnel - An Engineering marvelhttps://t.co/4PFTpc0lwR — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) April 2, 2017 × The Chenani-Nashri Tunnel will have a transformative impact on Jammu & Kashmir’s progress. The tunnel is truly world class. pic.twitter.com/JxCPl8QIdC — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 2, 2017 × The tunnel, which bypasses the snow-bound upper reaches of the Valley, will reduce the journey time between Jammu and Srinagar by two hours and provide a safe, all-weather route to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur to Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar. The prime minister drew a contrast between "misguided" stone-pelters who have been clashing with security forces and "the youth of Kashmir who are using the same stones to build infrastructure". He praised the "2,500 youth of Jammu and Kashmir who have toiled hard to make this tunnel a reality". "On one hand, some misguided youth pelt stones in Kashmir, on the other hand, the same stones are carved by other youth to build infrastructure," PM Modi said while addressing a rally in Udhampur's Battal Balian. "The path of terrorism has neither helped anyone or never will," he said. Measures have been taken to safeguard the Himayalas and the environment, the prime minister assured. He said the tunnel would "change the fortunes of the Valley's farmers", since their produce will not rot due to road closures. The prime minister arrived in a special plane at the airfield at Udhampur, where the headquarters of the army's Northern Command are located. He flew in an army helicopter to Chenani where he inaugurated the tunnel that connects the Udhampur and Ramban districts on the highway. The tunnel will save fuel worth nearly Rs 99 crores a year. "Rs. 27 lakh worth of fuel is likely to be saved per day," the Prime Minister's Office said earlier. The PMO added that the tunnel "is an alternative all weather route". "It is an alternative to the highway which often closes at the time of snow and rains. It will boost trade and increase revenue in the state. It will also help boost tourism," the PMO said. It is equipped with world-class security systems, and is expected to boost tourism and economic activities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, senior ministers of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Council Chairman Haji Inayat Ali and top army, police and civil administration officials welcomed PM Modi when he arrived in Udhampur. The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is India's first and the world's sixth tunnel to have a transverse ventilation system, which provides fresh air to passengers. In such long tunnels, ventilation systems are essential to maintain clean air, permissible carbon dioxide levels and expel harmful vehicle emissions. The tunnel, constructed at a cost of Rs. 2,519 crore, will ensure a safe and swift passage for commuters, even in adverse weather conditions. The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is among the longest highway tunnels in Asia. The tunnel, at an altitude of 1,200 meters, is a part of National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI's) project between Jammu and Srinagar, along the National Highway 44. The key features of the tunnel are that it is a single-tube bi-directional tunnel, with a 9.35-metre carriageway, and a vertical clearance of 5 metres. There is also a parallel escape tunnel, with 'Cross Passages' connecting to the main tunnel at intervals of 300 metres. It also has smart features such as an Integrated Traffic Control System; Surveillance, Ventilation and Broadcast Systems; Fire Fighting System; and SOS call-boxes at every 150 metres. Technologically, this is one of the most advanced road tunnels built in the country, surmounting challenges of terrain and distance, Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director, ABB India, which has built the ventilation system said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

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