Indian shuttler Sourabh Varma made a massive jump in the latest BWF rankings released on Thursday. The 2011 national champion, who won his maiden Grand Prix title at the Chinese Taipei Masters last Sunday, climbed 25 places to be placed at 57th in men’s singles.
Varma put up an impressive performance and even toppled the top seed Hsu Jen Hao in the semi-finals of that tournament.
The 23-year-old was not the only one who had such a rise in the latest rankings. The reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupali Kashyap rose 13 places to reach 79th. The 30-year-old is in the midst of his comeback from knee injury that robbed him a chance to play at the Rio Olympics.
The six-month hiatus was responsible for the former World No. 6 falling out of the top 100. Kashyap made it to the third round of the Dutch Open Grand Prix last week that helped in his rise.
Meanwhile, the India No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth who is recuperating from an ankle injury, holds on to his 10th ranking. HS Prannoy, who bowed out of the Denmark Open in the second round, too maintained his 32nd rank.
Sai Praneeth jumped two places to reach 34th while the India No. 2 Ajay Jayaram, who failed to defend his Dutch Open title, slid three spots to be 23rd.
Good news for Indian badminton in mixed doubles
Indian pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy broke into the top 30 for the first time and is now placed at 30th. The duo had been doing very well in the Grand Prix circuit of late and had won two titles at the Brazil Grand Prix and the Russian Open Grand Prix. At last week’s Dutch Open, they lost in the semi-finals which snapped their 11-match winning streak. That run made them jump eight spots to reach their current ranking.
They are currently the only Indian pair inside the top 60.
In men’s doubles, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy dropped one place to be 22nd while Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar are unchanged at 30th. In women’s doubles, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa slid one spot to be 25th.
Nehwal, Sindhu maintain their rankings
In women’s singles, Saina Nehwal, who is set to return at next month’s China Open, is static at 5th and so is Rio Olympic Silver medallist PV Sindhu at the 8th spot. The latter bowed out of the Denmark Open in the second round on Thursday.
19-year-old Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, who won the Russian Open this month, climbed one place to reach her career-high ranking of 54th.
