Seoul: Parupalli Kashyap made a positive start to his campaign at the Korea Super Series badminton tournament, notching up back-to-back wins over Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Hsien and Kan Chao Yu to reach the main draw of the men’s singles, here Tuesday.
Kashyap saw off Hsien 21-19, 21-9 in a 35-minute first round qualifier and then notched up a 21-19, 21-18 win over Kan Chao Yu in the next match to enter the main draw. He will now meet Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Jen Hao. The Indian has beaten Hao thrice and lost once at the 2014 Asia Badminton Championships.
In mixed doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, who had some good performances at the Sudirman Cup, also advanced to the main draw after two successive wins.
The Indian duo first defeated Germany’s Peter Kaesbauer and Olga Konon 21-12, 21-15 and then eked out a hard-fought 27-25, 21-17 win over Indonesia’s Ronald Ronald and Annisa Saufika. They will next face Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet in their first round encounter.
However, heartbreak was in store for Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy in the main draw of mixed doubles as their fight ended with a 21-13, 19-21, 15-21 loss to fourth-seeded Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto.
Press Trust of India
