Kidambi Srikanth Returns Strong: Advances to Round 2 of Macau Open

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth makes a successful comeback at the Macau Open, progressing to round two after defeating Daniil Dubovenko. The 31-year-old, who hadn’t competed in BWF events since May, is now in the round of 16. Mixed doubles pair Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy also advance.

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth made an impressive return to competitive badminton, advancing to the second round of the ongoing Macau Open on Wednesday. The 31-year-old, sidelined since his injury during the Singapore Open in May, returned as the sixth seed for this BWF Super 300 event. Srikanth defeated Daniil Dubovenko with scores of 21-14, 21-15.

Earlier this year, Srikanth, a 2021 World Championships medalist, reached the semifinals of the Swiss Open but struggled in other tournaments. Seeking to regain his form, he has now moved on to the round of 16, where he will face compatriot Ayush Shetty, who secured his spot by defeating Alap Mishra 21-13, 21-5.

In the mixed doubles competition, the pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy triumphed over Malaysian duo Bing Kun Loo and Lo Ee Ho with scores of 24-22, 10-21, 21-13, advancing to the round of 16. Notably, prominent Indian players such as PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are not participating in this year's Macau Open, which concludes on Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies.)