Indian Doubles Duo Triumphs at China Masters Opener

B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy claim victory in their first match at the China Masters, defeating American pair Smith and Gai. They face China's top-seeded duo next. Priyanshu Rajawat exits men's singles, while Aakarshi Kashyap loses in women's singles. Several Indian players are set to continue their campaign.

In a thrilling start to the China Masters badminton tournament, India's mixed doubles team of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy secured a triumphant victory in their opening round. Ranked 32nd globally, Reddy and Sikki dispatched the American duo Presley Smith and Jennie Gai, world-ranked 145, with scores of 23-21, 17-21, 21-17, as reported by Olympics.com.

The Indian team is now set to face a formidable opponent in the round of 16, challenging China's top-seeded and world number two-ranked pair, Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping. Notably, Ping clinched the mixed doubles gold at this year's Paris Olympics alongside Wang Yilyu. On the Indian front, Priyanshu Rajawat succumbed to Indonesia's Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the men's singles, dropping out after a hard-fought 24-22, 13-21, 18-21 defeat.

Rajawat initially led in the first game but struggled to maintain momentum, despite a spirited effort and a brief lead in the final set. In the women's singles, Aakarshi Kashyap, ranked 46th, was outplayed by Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki, who secured the win with a decisive 21-10, 21-18 finish. Meanwhile, Anupama Upadhyaya is set to play against USA's Beiwen Zhang, and India's top men's doubles pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, will return to the court for the first time since the Paris Olympics next year. The tournament continues with appearances from PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, and other notable Indian players in Shenzhen from Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies.)