Top seed Unnati Hooda and former champion Kidambi Srikanth delivered commanding performances to headline a strong opening day for India at the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament in Lucknow on Wednesday. Both players advanced comfortably to the second round, setting the tone for what turned out to be a highly successful outing for the Indian contingent.
Hooda, leading the women’s singles draw, defeated fellow Indian Aakarshi Kashyap 21-13, 21-18 in a composed display. She maintained control in the rallies and showed excellent movement, especially in the closing stages of the second game when Kashyap attempted a late surge. Srikanth, who reached the Malaysia Masters final earlier this year, was equally fluent in his 21-13, 21-10 victory over Kavin Thangam. The former World No. 1 looked sharp, mixing pace and precision to secure a routine win at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.
There were several other notable wins for India across categories. Seventh seed Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj began her women’s singles campaign with an assured 21-12, 21-14 triumph over Shreya Lele, maintaining a strong grip throughout the encounter. In men’s singles, Kiran George marched into the next round with a 21-17, 21-9 victory against Israel’s Daniil Dubovenko, earning a meeting with Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan.
A particularly encouraging moment came as Priyanshu Rajawat returned to competition after a five-month break due to a knee injury. Rajawat showed no signs of rustiness, defeating Meiraba Luwang Maisnam 21-18, 21-14 to set up a second-round clash with compatriot BM Rahul Bharadwaj. Bharadwaj himself survived a thriller, overcoming Tarun Reddy Katam 18-21, 21-16, 23-21 in a tightly contested match.
More Indian shuttlers progressed smoothly, with Alap Mishra and Siddhanth Gupta advancing in men’s singles, while Devika Sihag, Mansi Singh, Isharani Baruah, Tanya Hemanth, and Anupama secured spots in the next round of women’s singles.
In mixed doubles, rising talents and World Juniors medallists C Lalramsanga and Taarini Suri defeated Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo 25-23, 21-14 in an intense all-Indian clash. Meanwhile, the young sisters Gayatri and Mansa Rawat added to the hosts’ success, clinching a 21-11, 21-18 win over Arathi Sunil and Varshini Viswanath in women’s doubles.
Among notable international results, Singapore’s top seed Jason Teh edged India’s Rithvik Sanjeevi 21-19, 21-17 in a tight men’s singles battle, showing composure in the crucial moments. In mixed doubles, Singaporean top seeds Terry Hee and Jin Yujia defeated India’s Ayush Makhija and Simran Singhi 23-21, 21-10.
With several Indian players moving confidently into the second round, the tournament promises an exciting next phase for home fans.
