Indonesia Masters 2019 | PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth reach quarterfinals

PV Sindhu defeated Gregoria Mariska 23-21, 21-7 to reach the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters 2019 while Kidambi Srikant did not disappoint in the men’s category as he too cruised to the quarterfinals defeating his Japanese opponent Kenta Nishimoto 21-14, 21-9. Saina Nehwal too did not stay behind and moved to next round defeating Fitriani Fitriani of Indonesia 21-17,21-15.

Sindhu had to face stiff resistance from her opponent in the opening game of the match as Mariska took the game to the wire. At the break in the first game Sindhu had a slender lead of one point at 11-10 and even in the latter half of the first game Mariska did not let the Indian sneak the game but had to yield ultimately as she lost two consecutive points at 21-all. The second game became rather easy for Sindhu as the Indian took the game 21-7 and the match along with it.

Srikanth’s was a less stiff battle compared to that of Sindhu as he too won his game in straight games. In the first game, Srikanth cruised to an 11-8 lead at the game break thereafter the point difference between the two players kept increasing and he took the game 21-14. Thereafter Srikanth continued to dominate in the second game and took the match 21-14, 21-9.

Saina Nehwal too won her match in straight games. Though Fitriani tried to give a fight to Nehwal in the earlier half of the first game, the latter half of the game the Indian looked in a mission mode and wrapped the game 21-17, even though the Indonesian tried to make a comeback in last moments of the game. Nehwal did not let go her first game victory waste and finished things by taking the second game 21-15.

India had only one loss on the day when the men’s doubles pair of Attri Manu and B Sumeeth Reddy were defeated by Danish pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-14,17-21, 21-10.