NEW DELHI: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the third-seeded men's badminton doubles pair from India, made a strong start to their Olympic campaign with a straight-game victory in their opening group stage match.
The reigning Asian Games champions defeated the French duo of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar 21-17, 21-14 in a Group C encounter.
In the men's singles event, Lakshya Sen, the 22-year-old Indian shuttler, began his maiden Olympic journey on a winning note. Sen, a gold medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a bronze winner at the 2021 World Championships, overcame a tough challenge from Kevin Cordon of Guatemala, prevailing 21-8, 22-20 in a Group C match.
Satwik and Chirag faced stiff resistance from the French pair in the first game but asserted their dominance in the second game, winning most of the rallies in the 45-minute encounter. Their next match is scheduled against Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel of Germany on Monday.
Sen, making his Olympic debut, displayed remarkable composure and resilience against the reigning Pan-American champion Cordon. Despite Cordon's spirited comeback in the second game, Sen held his nerve and emerged victorious in 42 minutes. He will face Julien Carraggi of Belgium in his second group match on Monday.
The Indian shuttler pocketed the first game comfortably, taking a 5-0 lead early on and maintaining his advantage throughout. Cordon fought back in the second game, leading 6-2 and 12-7 at one stage.
However, Sen saved his best for the last, reeling off four straight points to level the scores at 20-20 and then winning the next two points to seal the match in his favour.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
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