Lakshya Sen defeated Indian shuttler HS Prannoy at the Paris Olympics, advancing to the men’s singles quarterfinals. Despite Prannoy’s recovery from Chikungunya, he displayed dominance and established a strong lead in the first game.
He qualified for the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympic Games after defeating HS Prannoy in an all-India Round of 16, winning the match 21-12, 21-6 in straight games on August 1. Despite Prannoy’s resilience, he narrowed the gap before the break. Lakshya regained control, closing the first game with a decisive 21-12 victory.
Lakshya Sen, a 22-year-old, qualified for the quarter-finals of the men’s singles event competition by defeating HS Prannoy in straight games, securing his maiden appearance at the Games and progressing to the next round.
Olympic Games
Lakshya’s opponent, Prannoy, was not much tested by Lakshya due to his fatigue from a recent game against Vietnamese Le Duc Phat. Prannoy had won a tiring 3-game match and a chikungunya bout earlier in the month, which took a toll on his body. Lakshya led 11-3 in the second game, but Prannoy couldn’t put up a fight in the final half, losing 6-21 and getting knocked out in R16 of his maiden Olympic appearance.
In the second game, Prannoy struggled to win points as Lakshya increased the gap. Lakshya’s relentless pace proved too much for him, and he lost the game 21-6. This victory sets the stage for an exciting quarterfinal appearance against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei, becoming only the third Indian shuttler to qualify for the quarterfinals at the Olympic Games .
The match between Lakshya and HS Prannoy began slowly, with both players trying to gauge each other’s pace. Prannoy started slow, trailing by 1-5. Lakshya defended Prannoy’s smashes to his backhand side and countered with down-the-line smashes.
At the break, Lakshya led 11-6 and continued to attack Prannoy in flat exchanges. Prannoy increased his intensity when he trailed 7-13 and attacked Lakshya more fiercely on his backhand side. Lakshya was occasionally troubled by Prannoy, who switched his attack and caught Lakshya with his down-the-line smashes. However, Prannoy’s unforced errors in the court led to his loss in the first Olympic Games 21-12.
Lakshya, a veteran tennis player, defeated veteran Prannoy in a landslide match, showcasing his best form. Prannoy struggled to defend well on the court due to fatigue, allowing him to concede under 10 points. Lakshya is set to face Chou Tien Chen in the quarter-finals, having faced him four times and holding a record of 1-3. The last match was in the Singapore Open 2023, where Lakshya lost in a 3-game battle.
On night six of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Kate Douglass won gold in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, lowering her American record. Regan Smith claimed silver in the women’s 200m butterfly, lowering her American record. Katie Ledecky, along with teammates Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell, secured a silver medal in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, making her the most decorated American female Olympian in history.
Other athletes heading to the finals include Caeleb Dressel in the men’s 50m freestyle, Phoebe Bacon and Smith in the women’s 200m backstroke, and Carson Foster in the men’s 200m individual medley. Shaine Casas and Anna Peplowski made their Olympic Games debuts today.
Regan Smith won the Women’s 200m Butterfly in the finalOlympic Games setting an American record of 2:03.84 Olympic Games. Smith was thrilled with her time and was happy for Summer (McIntosh) to have a great time. Alex Shackell, on the other hand, was not happy with her time, as she had been faster than that in almost every race this season. She believes she didn’t get into her stroke in the race and should have swum her own race like she did in the semifinals. Shackell is taking the experience as a learning experience and motivation for four years.
Keaton Jones won the Men’s 200m Backstroke at the World Championships in Gilbert, Arizona, with a time of 1:55.39. Jones claimed that this was his second fastest time ever, minus the 1:54 from the Trials. He praised his clean race and learned from his fifth-place finish, stating that he needed to have more confidence in himself and remember that he was a good backstroker after achieving his fifth place.
Caeleb Dressel, from Green Cove Springs, Fla./Gator Swim Club, won the Men’s 50m Freestyle Olympic Games Semifinal with a time of 21.58, expressing his confidence and excitement at the impressive performance.
Kate Douglass won the Women’s 200m Breaststroke gold medal with a time of 2:19.24, while Lilly King set an American record with a time of 2:25.91. Douglass expressed excitement about her achievement and the opportunity to become an individual Olympic Games Champion for Team USA.
The women’s 200m backstroke and men’s 200m individual medley events were held at the Olympic Games. Phoebe Bacon and Regan Smith won the women’s 200m backstroke and men’s 200m individual medley respectively.
Carson Foster and Shaine Casas also competed in the men’s 200m individual medley events. The women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team won the women’s event with a time of 7:40.86. The event was part of the USA’s swimming program at the Olympics. The athletes were trained for the high-stress environment at the Olympics.
Simon Manuel, Anna Peplowski, and Alex Shackell will receive medals for their prelim swims in the Olympic swimming relay. Ememel, who was the anchor, praised the pressure and nerves of being in the same position for six minutes before the race. She focused on swimming her own race and found it enjoyable.
Weinstein, who helped Katie Ledecky win her 13th Olympic medal, praised Ledecky’s humility and inspiration, stating that it was an honor to be on the same team and have her as a mentor. Ememel also praised Ledecky for being humble and a great teammate, stating that she consistently crushes it. Overall, the relay team’s performance was a testament to the dedication and hard work of their teammates.
The men’s 50m freestyle preliminary heats are set to begin on Sunday, August 4 at Paris La Defense Arena. The finals will include the men’s 50m freestyle final, women’s 200m backstroke final, men’s 200m individual medley final, men’s 100m butterfly semifinal, and women’s 200m individual medley semifinal. Prelims begin at 11 a.m. CET/1:30 a.m. ET.
Retiring Andy Murray says he’s happy he was able to end on his terms. Andy Murray said at the Paris Olympics on Thursday night that he has concluded his professional tennis career on his own terms, calling it a joyful ending.
The third-seeded American duo of Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz upset Murray and Dan Evans 6-2, 6-4 in Olympic Games the men’s doubles quarterfinals following an eventful week in Paris. It’s going to be Murray’s last game ever.
Murray and Evans had a dramatic week in Paris, saving five consecutive match points after trailing 4-9 in the final-set match tie-break in the opening round against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel. They saved two more match points in their second round match against Joran Vliegen and Sander Gillé.
Despite saving another match point against Fritz and Paul before retrieving one of the two breaks in the second set, the third seeds held on to reach the semi-finals. Murray and Evans had anticipated this moment for the last few months and were ready for it. Murray is genuinely happy with how it’s finished and is glad that he got to go out here at the Olympic Games and finish on his terms. He feels lucky to have had the opportunity to play great matches and create amazing memories.
Murray’s career has been hampered by injuries, including torn ankle ligaments in March and back surgery before Wimbledon in June. Murray acknowledged the pain and discomfort he experienced during the final months of his career, but he is happy to be finishing and believes that now is the right time to retire.
He believes that if he continued to try and get injured, it could potentially end his career. Murray also acknowledged that the back surgery in June has helped him see his retirement in a positive light, as it allowed him to accept the potential damage prolonging his career might cause to his body.
Andy Murray, a former tennis player, was diagnosed with a condition that caused him to lose control of his bladder and other legs. The surgeon performed well, and the rehab process was expedited to allow Murray to play at Wimbledon.
The LTA announced that Centre Court at the Queen’s Club will be renamed Andy Murray Arena during the ATP and WTA tournaments there next year as a tribute to Murray’s career. Murray later changed his bio on X from “I play tennis” to “I played tennis,” and later posted on his account that he never even liked tennis anyway. The LTA’s chief executive, Scott Lloyd, expressed pride in naming the arena.
Novak Djokovic will undergo a knee medical assessment after undergoing on-court treatment in his singles quarter-final victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Iga Swiatek lost to Zheng Qinwen in the women’s singles in Olympic Games.
