Yonex All England Badminton Championships 2021, March 17-21

[sameerph]

It started yesteday and we had one bad upset loss for Srikanth and loss by Saina ( which was somewhat expected) but otherwise good results.

[R1] Sameer VERMA (IND,27) d. Ygor COELHO (BRA,52) 21-11 21-19
[R1] SAI PRANEETH B. (IND,15) d. Toma Junior POPOV (FRA,49) 21-18 22-20
[R1] PARUPALLI Kashyap (IND,26) l. (1) Kento MOMOTA (JPN,1) 13-21 20-22
[R1] PRANNOY H. S. (IND,31) d. LIEW Daren (MAS,33) 21-10 21-10
[R1] (8) KIDAMBI Srikanth (IND,13) l. Nhat NGUYEN (IRL,57) 11-21 21-15 12-21
[R1] Lakshya SEN (IND,28) d. Kantaphon WANGCHAROEN (THA,18) 21-18 21-12

[R1] (5) PUSARLA V. Sindhu (IND,7) d. Soniia CHEAH (MAS,32) 21-11 21-17
[R1] Saina NEHWAL (IND,19) l. (7) Mia BLICHFELDT (DEN,12) 8-21 4-10 retd.

[R1] M.R. ARJUN / Dhruv KAPILA (IND) l. ONG Yew Sin / TEO Ee Yi (MAS) 13-21 12-21
[R1] (6) Satwiksairaj RANKIREDDY / Chirag SHETTY (IND) d. Nikhar GARG / Aniruddha MAYEKAR (IND) 21-7 21-10

[R1] Ashwini PONNAPPA / REDDY N. Sikki (IND) d. Benyapa AIMSAARD / Nuntakarn AIMSAARD (THA) 21-14 21-12
[R1] JAKKAMPUDI Meghana/Poorvisha S RAM (IND) l. Alexandra BØJE /Mette POULSEN (DEN) 10-21 15-21

[R1] Dhruv KAPILA / JAKKAMPUDI Meghana (IND) d. (1) Praveen JORDAN / Melati Daeva OKTAVIANTI (INA) Walkover
[R1] Pranaav Jerry CHOPRA / REDDY N. Sikki (IND) l. Rasmus ESPERSEN / Christine BUSCH (DEN) 15-21 17-21

Young Lakshya Sen had a very good win over a higher ranked player.

[sameerph]

Today's match-ups-

[R2] Sameer VERMA (IND,27) vs. (3) Anders ANTONSEN (DEN,3)
[R2] SAI PRANEETH B. (IND,15) vs. (2) Viktor AXELSEN (DEN,2)
[R2] PRANNOY H. S. (IND,31) vs. (1) Kento MOMOTA (JPN,1)
[R2] Lakshya SEN (IND,28) vs. Thomas ROUXEL (FRA,47)

[R2] (5) PUSARLA V. Sindhu (IND,7) vs. Line CHRISTOPHERSEN (DEN,45)

[R2] (6) Satwiksairaj RANKIREDDY / Chirag SHETTY (IND,10) vs. Kim ASTRUP / Anders Skaarup RASMUSSEN (DEN,13)

[R2] Ashwini PONNAPPA / REDDY N. Sikki (IND,30) vs. (6) Gabriela STOEVA /Stefani STOEV (BUL,13)

[R1] Satwiksairaj RANKIREDDY / Ashwini PONNAPPA (IND,19) vs. Yuki KANEKO /Misaki MATSUTOMO (JPN,23)
[R2] Dhruv KAPILA / JAKKAMPUDI Meghana (IND,104) vs. Niclas NOHR /Amalie MAGELUND (DEN,74)

Only Laksksya Sen and Sindhu seem to have relatively easier matches. Otherwise all matches are tough. Our 3 men players are playing top 3 players in the world - looks too tough for them to pull off upsets although Sameer Verma came close to beating Antonsen last month. Satwik and Chirag also playing a pair ranked close to them and who beat them in in Swiss open a couple of weeks back.

[Rajiv]

Meanwhile some records of sorts and a unique happening.

62 year Israeli Svetlana Zimmerman partnering her son lost to a German paring in the decider.

Amazing story about fitness, motivation and the love of the game.

[jaydeep]

Lakshya is in the quarters, he defeated Thomas Rouxel, 21-18, 21-17 ... HS Prannoy gave a fighting performance in his loss against Kento Momota.

[Dinesh]

Our women team upset the 6th seeds.

[sameerph]

Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma also put up a good fight but lost in the end. Sameer had 4 game points at 20-16 in the first game but could not close out that game.

Also losses for Satwik in both mens and mixed doubles.

[R2] Sameer VERMA (IND,27) l. (3) Anders ANTONSEN (DEN,3) 20-22 10-21
[R2] SAI PRANEETH B. (IND,15) l. (2) Viktor AXELSEN (DEN,2) 21-15 12-21 12-21
[R2] PRANNOY H. S. (IND,31) l. (1) Kento MOMOTA (JPN,1) 15-21 14-21
[R2] Lakshya SEN (IND,28) d. Thomas ROUXEL (FRA,47) 21-18 21-17

[R2] (5) PUSARLA V. Sindhu (IND,7) d. Line CHRISTOPHERSEN (DEN,45) 21-8 21-8

[R2] (6) Satwiksairaj RANKIREDDY / Chirag SHETTY (IND,10) l. Kim ASTRUP / Anders Skaarup RASMUSSEN (DEN,13)

[R2] Ashwini PONNAPPA / REDDY N. Sikki (IND,30) d. (6) Gabriela STOEVA /Stefani STOEV (BUL,13) 21-17 21-10

[R1] Satwiksairaj RANKIREDDY / Ashwini PONNAPPA (IND,19) l. Yuki KANEKO /Misaki MATSUTOMO (JPN,23) 19-21 9-21
[R2] Dhruv KAPILA / JAKKAMPUDI Meghana (IND,104) l. Niclas NOHR /Amalie MAGELUND (DEN,74) 19-21 8-21

[sameerph]

Next,

[QF] Lakshya SEN (IND,28) vs. Mark CALJOUW (NED,35)

[QF] (5) PUSARLA V. Sindhu (IND,7) vs. (3) Akane YAMAGUCH (JPN,5)

[QF] Ashwini PONNAPPA / REDDY N. Sikki (IND,30) vs. Selena PIEK / Cheryl SEINEN (NED,24)

[PKBasu]

How is it that #28 Lakshya Sen has reached the QF by beating world #18 and #47, while Verma and Praneeth (with similar ranks) ran into the #1 and #3 in R2..?

[suresh]

How is it that #28 Lakshya Sen has reached the QF by beating world #18 and #47, while Verma and Praneeth (with similar ranks) ran into the #1 and #3 in R2..?

Badminton has only 8 seeds. So it is possible for world #8 playing #9 in R1 (happened to Saina many years ago).

[sameerph]

Lakshya would have had to meet world #5 Ginting in second round but whole Indonesian contingent had to pull out as someone on the flight which they came in got covid positive. So, Ginting gave a walkover to #47 Rouxel in first round.

Lakshya got further lucky that world #13 Srikanth got upset in first round. So, Lakshya now meets #35 Caljouw now in QF. Hope he can take advantage and win this match.

[sameerph]

Unfortunately Lakskya could not overcome the Dutch. Also our womens doubles team lost in straight games.

[QF] Lakshya SEN (IND,28) l. Mark CALJOUW (NED,35) 17-21 21-16 17-21

[QF] Ashwini PONNAPPA / REDDY N. Sikki (IND,30) l. Selena PIEK / Cheryl SEINEN (NED,24) 22-24 12-21

So, now only Sindhu left who is playing her QF in couple of hours time against Japanese Yamaguchi against whom she has lost the last 3 matches they have played against each other ( overall positive record of 10-7 though.

[Sin Hombre]

Sindhu wins 21-19 in the decider. Well played. Hopefully she is coming back to form.

[sameerph]

And Sindhu comes thru with an excellent comeback win in a close match.

[QF] (5) PUSARLA V. Sindhu (IND,7) d. (3) Akane YAMAGUCHI (JPN,5) 16-21 21-16 21-19

Next,

[SF] (5) PUSARLA V. Sindhu (IND,7) vs. (6) Pornpawee CHOCHUWONG (THA,11)

[prasen9]

That is a good win from Sindhu. She owns the head-to-head 11-7 or something like that but people's forms go up or down and she is a peer, i.e., similar skills-level (more or less). So, winning against someone who is about the same level as oneself is a good thing especially in a close last set.

[jayakris]

It is indeed good to see Sindhu back in some good form. I was beginning to think she had lost a bit of her drive to do well. Not yet, I suppose.