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Pritish Raj works with sports team at The Indian Express' and is based out of New Delhi. ... Read More A Badminton World Championships in front of the home crowd is an opportunity not every shuttler gets, and double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu soaked it in with an easy win over Sophia Noble of Ireland. Buoyed by the home crowd, Sindhu won 21-7, 21-11 in a 30-minute match. “Till yesterday, I was very excited to get on the court. I had butterflies while entering the court today but the crowd cheering and the whole environment gave me goosebumps,” Sindhu told the media after the win. Asked if playing in front of the home crowd added pressure, she said, “Pressure is everywhere and I think here it is a privilege to play in front of my people.” It was one-sided from the start. The five-time World Championships medallist even experimented with some shots during the match. After winning the first game with ease, Sindhu went to the tougher side and adjusted to the drift and conditions. “Yeah, the opponent pushed me in the second half but I was experimenting with my shots and adjusting to the conditions. So, I tried my drops and smashes,” Sindhu said. Sindhu comes into the tournament on the back of the Japan Open Super 750 title, confidence that will matter with a potential clash against world number three Wang Zhi Yi of China looming. India’s most decorated shuttler at the World Championships, she is eyeing a sixth medal in the event, and an end to a seven-year wait. Her last medal came at the 2019 edition, when she won the title and became the first Indian shuttler to do so. Returning from an injury layoff, the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand started on a winning note, beating Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez of Spain in straight games, 21-9, 21-13. The Indian duo are coming back from a long layoff, with Treesa out for more than three months. “It was tough to stay away for 2.5 months from the court, and when we entered the court, it was a thrilling moment for us,” Gayatri said after the win. It was a winning opener across the board for the Indian contingent, with unseeded Ayush Shetty taking down reigning world champion Shi Yuqi of China in a 73-minute battle. Backed by a partisan crowd, Ayush won 21-14, 13-21, 21-19. The other two pairs in contention, Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam in women’s doubles, and Hariharan Amasukaran and Arjun MR in men’s doubles, also won their opening games, making it five wins from five for India. Hari and Arjun played early in the day and took time to adjust to the conditions before their opponents, Scott Guileda and Paul Reynolds of Ireland, retired due to a back injury to Guileda. “There was some side drift and that is why the Irish pair started getting their length right. They had to retire unfortunately, but it is a good start for us, and that too in front of the home crowd,” Arjun said. Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda will headline the Indian contingent on the second day, as the shuttlers take court for their first round. Lakshya faces Collins Valentine Filmon of Austria, and Unnati faces Thet Thar Thuzar of Myanmar.