Syed Modi India International: Former champion PV Sindhu eases into quarter-finals in Lucknow

Former champion and top seed PV Sindhu stormed into the quarter-final of the Syed Modi India International after beating Laura Lam of the United States in straight games in Lucknow on Thursday, January 20. The top seed needed only 33 minutes to outclass Lam 21-16, 21-13 at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.

PV Sindhu will take on 6th seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand in the quarter-final. Katethong defeated Kriti Bharadwaj of India 21-11, 21-7 in the women’s singles second-round match on Thursday.

PV Sindhu, who won the Syed Modi Super 300 title in 2017, was knocked out of the India Open Super 500 tournament in New Delhi in the semi-final earlier this month. The World No. 7 had lost to her quarter-final opponent Katethong in the last four round in three games.

Sindhu would want to prove a point when she takes on Katethong in the quarter-final in Lucknow. She will be hoping to win a title at home and begin her proceedings in the new season on a high.

Prannoy, a former top 10 player, will clash with France’s Arnaud Merkle, who ended India’s Kartikey Gulshan Kumar’s campaign with a 21-8 21-12 win in another second-round match.

In other results, Aakarshi Kashyap and Malvika Bansod have set up an exciting quarterfinal clash against each other after notching up straight game wins over Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka and Prerana Neeluri respectively.

While Aakarshi beat Sai 21-9 21-6, Malvika defeated Prerana 21-10 21-8 in two lop-sided contests.

In another women’s singles second round match, India’s Samiya Imad Farooqui beat compatriot Kanika Kanwal 21-6 21-15 and will face Anupama Upadhyaya in another all-Indian clash.

Anupama beat Smit Toshniwal 21-12 21-19 in another match.

In the men’s singles, Mithun Manjunath fought for an hour and 20 minutes before prevailing 16-21 21-16 23-21 against Malaysia’s Soong Joo Ven but it was curtains for Chirag Sen, Kaushal Dharmamer and Raghu Mariswamy.