BWF Australian Open Day 4 Results: HS Prannoy ousted as Indian campaign draws to a close

Modified Jun 14, 2024 23:01 IST

India in action on dya four of the Australian Open

After a valiant effort, India's campaign at the Australian Open has drawn to a close on Friday (June 14) following the quarterfinal matches. In action today were HS Prannoy, Sameer Verma, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Sumeeth/Sikki Reddy, none of whom were able to pull through.

Kicking things off for the nation in Sydney was the mixed doubles duo of Sumeeth and Sikki Reddy. The World No. 39 pair had an impressive start to their tournament, and had to battle Chinese top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin to make it through to the semifinals.

However, the challenge proved to be too much for the Indians, as they went down 21-17, 21-12 despite their best efforts.

Elsewhere at the Australian Open, right after the Reddys were done with their match, Aakarshi Kashyap got down to business in the court adjacent to theirs. Playing Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po, Kashyap had a slow start to her first game before stringing together seven consecutive points to draw even at 9-9. However, that didn't prove to be enough, and the Taiwanese took the win 21-17, before clinching the second game 21-12.

On the men's singles end of things, Sameer Verma was the first in action, taking on Pai Yu Po’s compatriot Lin Chun-Yi. The Indian had had a fantastic run yesterday, taking down former world champion Loh Kean Yew, but wasn't able to show that fighting self at the Quaycentre today. Verma lost his match 12-21, 13-21 in 42 minutes.

The last Indian on court today at the Australian Open was HS Prannoy. India's brightest hope for a podium finish, the World Championships and Asian Games bronze-medalist fell short to Japanese second seed Kodai Naraoka 19-21, 13-21 in a lackluster performance.

For Prannoy, this outing in Sydney marked a valuable chance to test his mettle ahead of the Paris Olympics. With a slightly earlier exit than fans would have hoped for, it remains to be seen if the Indian can make any changes to his game in the coming months.