Tokyo: Returning to action after a week’s break, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth made positive starts to their campaign at the Japan Open Super Series badminton tournament, advancing to the second round with contrasting wins, here Wednesday.
Saina, who had skipped the Korea Open due to a slight thigh strain, took 39 minutes to dispatch Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-17, 21-9 in the women’s singles opening round. She will next have the arduous task of beating Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin in the second round. Saina has a 4-3 record against the Spaniard, however, she has lost the last three matches she has played against the Spaniard.
Srikanth also dished out a superlative performance to overcome China’s Tian Houwei 21-15, 12-21, 21-11 to improve his 1-6 record against the World No. 10. He will next face Hong Kong’s Hu Yun next. The World No.8 Indian has a 2-2 head-to-head count against Yun, having lost twice in 2015.
Among others HS Prannoy and Sameer Verma also advanced to the second round with straight-game wins over their respective opponents in men’s singles.
While Prannoy got the better off Denmark’s Anders Antonsen 21-12, 21-14, Sameer took 40 minutes to subdue Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab 21-12, 21-19 in another match.
Sameer’s elder brother, Sourabh, however, bowed out of the tournament after his fight against seventh seed and two-time Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan of China ended with a 21-11, 15-21, 13-21 loss. Sourabh had raised hopes of an upset after winning the first game. However, the Chinese shook of his lethargy to subdue the Indian in the next two games comfortably.
Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth also found the going tough as he went down fighting to Lee Dong Keun of Korea 23-21, 17-21, 14-21 in a thrilling contest.
Fast-rising doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also advanced to the mixed doubles second round along with the experienced Ashwini Ponnappa after defeating Thai pair of Tinn Isriyanet and Pacharapun Chochuwong 21-17, 21-13.
However, in men’s doubles, Satwik and his partner Chirag Shetty couldn’t get across third seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia. They lost 25-27, 15-21.
Experienced men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also crashed out after losing 18-21, 15-21 to eighth seeds Lee Jhe-Huei and Lee Yang of Chinese Taipei, while third-seeded Korean Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee ended Ashwini and N Sikki Reddy’s stay with a 21-17, 21-12 win in women’s doubles event.
