Alor Setar (Malaysia): PV Sindhu led the women’s team to a thrilling 3-2 win over Hong Kong as India made a positive start in the Asia Badminton Team Championships here Tuesday. The Indians were without Saina Nehwal, who is nursing a groin injury.
Sindhu won her singles encounter and then combined with N Sikki Reddy to achieve a crucial doubles victory.
In the first singles, Sindhu defeated Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin 21-12, 21-18. This was her second successive win over her rival having defeated her at the Indian Open last week.
However, Hong Kong were back on track as the duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Prajakta Sawant then lost 22-20, 20-22, 10-21 to Ng Wing Yung and Yeung Nga Ting in a 52-minute first women’s doubles clash.
Young Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli took the court against Cheung Ying Mei but her gallant fight ended with a 19-21, 21-18, 20-22 loss in the second singles match as India trailed 1-2 after three matches. Sindhu and Sikki then notched up a 21-15, 15-21, 21-14 win over Ng Tsz Yau and Yuen Sin Ying to restore parity.
It eventually boiled down to the third singles and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde recovered from a game down to outwit Yeung Sum Yee 16-21, 21-16, 21-13 to earn India a crucial victory.
Easy draw
New Delhi: India are likely to have an easy passage to the knock-out stage of badminton mixed team event as they have been drawn with minnows Pakistan, Scotland and Sri Lanka in Group A of the Commonwealth Games which will be played April 4-15 at Gold Coast, Australia. Sixteen nations have been drawn into four groups with the top two qualifying for the knock-outs. The team event will have men’s and women’s singles and three doubles – men’s, women’s and mixed in each tie.