The Indian mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto have advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the World Badminton Championships in Paris. The 16th-seeded Indian duo secured a straight-game victory over Ireland's Joshua Magee and Moya Ryan. Kapila and Crasto dominated the match, winning 21-11, 21-16 in just 35 minutes.
From the start, Dhruv and Tanisha asserted control, quickly establishing a 6-2 lead and extending it to 11-6 by the mid-game interval. They maintained their momentum, preventing their opponents from gaining any ground and comfortably securing the first game. The second game mirrored the first, with the Indian pair jumping to a 7-2 lead and maintaining their dominance to close out the match without significant difficulty.
Their next challenge will be against fifth seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong for a place in the quarterfinals.
In other matches, two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu advanced to the second round, overcoming Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova. Sindhu, ranked 15th, defeated Nalbantova, ranked 69th, with a score of 23-21, 21-6 in 39 minutes. H.S. Prannoy also secured a win.
India has a strong tradition at the Badminton World Championships, having won at least one medal in every edition since 2011.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the ninth seeds in men's doubles and 2022 bronze medallists, received a bye into the second round and will begin their campaign. However, India's campaign in women's doubles concluded in the opening round, with the pairs of Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra and Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda losing their respective matches.
Looking ahead, H.S. Prannoy faces a challenging match against world No. 2 Anders Antonsen. While Prannoy has a commendable record, Antonsen's skill and momentum could prove difficult to overcome. Prannoy secured a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships.