Taipei Open: HS Prannoy advances to quarterfinals with convincing victory

Indian shuttler HS Prannoy showcased his prowess on the badminton court as he secured a comfortable straight-game win over Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto in the pre-quarterfinals of the Taipei Open. The country's top-ranked men's singles player demonstrated his skills, dispatching Sugiarto with a score of 21-9, 21-17 in a swift 36-minute encounter at the BWF World Tour Super 300 tournament.

Prannoy, currently ranked ninth in the world, displayed remarkable form throughout the match, asserting his dominance over the former world championship bronze medallist. With this victory, he secured a spot in the quarterfinals, where he is set to face Hong Kong's fifth seed, Angus Ng Ka Long.

Having recently clinched the Malaysia Masters Super 300 title, Prannoy has been on an impressive run of performances. Last week, he showcased his mettle at the Indonesia Open, a prestigious Super 1000 tournament, reaching the semifinals before succumbing to the world's top-ranked player, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.

As the lone Indian remaining in the competition, Prannoy aims to continue his winning streak and make his mark in the Taipei Open. However, it was not a favorable day for other Indian players. Former Commonwealth Games medallist Parupalli Kashyap faced a defeat of 16-21, 17-21 against local favorite Su Li Yang, ending his journey in the tournament.

In the mixed doubles category, Indian duo Sikki Reddy and Rohan Kapoor encountered a tough challenge against Taipei's Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Lin Xiao Min, ultimately losing with a score of 13-21, 18-21. Similarly, Tanya Kamath faced a formidable opponent in World Championship and Olympic silver medallist Tai Tzu Ying, resulting in a loss of 11-21, 6-21.