Kidambi Srikanth beats Danii Dubovenko, advances to second round of Thailand Masters

NEW DELHI: Former world no.1 Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth made a strong start at the Thailand Masters BWF Super 300 event, securing a straight-game victory over Israel's Danii Dubovenko in the men's singles opening round on Wednesday.
Srikanth's dominance was evident from the outset, as he raced to a 6-0 lead in the first game, eventually clinching it 21-13.
The second game witnessed a more competitive Dubovenko, but Srikanth maintained his composure, leading 11-7 at the interval and closing out the match with a 21-18 scoreline.
This win marked Srikanth's second consecutive triumph over Dubovenko, having previously defeated him at the 2024 Macau Open in September 2024. Srikanth's next challenge will be against Hong Kong's Jason Gunawan in the second round.
Among the other Indian participants in the men's singles event, S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian emerged victorious in a gruelling three-game contest against Malaysia's June Wei Cheam, with a final score of 15-21, 21-15, 21-19. Subramanian will next face Indonesia's Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
However, it was a disappointing day for Ayush Shetty and Mithun Manjunath, who were eliminated from the tournament. Shetty fell short against Malaysia's Jing Hong Kok, losing 15-21, 17-21, while Manjunath succumbed to another Malaysian opponent, Sholeh Aidil, with a scoreline of 14-21, 13-21.
In the mixed doubles category, the Indian pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde secured a convincing 21-8, 21-16 victory over Thailand's Weeraphat Phakjarung and Sararat Chueboca. They will next face another Thai duo, Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan, in the second round.
The men's doubles event also witnessed success for the Indian contingent, with Ruben Kumar and Hariharan defeating Thailand's Pannawat Jamtubtim and Ratchapol Makkasasithorn in straight games, 21-18, 21-12.