Japan Open | PV Sindhu, B Sai Praneeth advance, HS Prannoy bows out
Indian shuttlers held their claim in three events with PV Sindhu and B Sai Praneeth winning their respective singles clash while HS Prannoy went down in straight games further reducing India’s contention. While the men’s doubles duo advance in the other match, the mixed duo went down.
After some dismal performances on Wednesday, India were heavily banking on Sindhu to advance and she did exactly but not before giving everyone an early scare. Playing against Aya Ohori of Japan, against whom Sindhu had enjoyed an overwhelming 7-0 advantage in head to head, she lost the first game 11-21. However, to everyone’s relief, the Indian shuttler brushed aside the novice over the next two games with scorelines of 21-10, 21-13.
The first game of the day for India was played by B Sai Praneeth. With Kidambi Srikanth already out and Prannoy getting back his moorings, Praneeth has been India’s biggest hope in the tournament and he stood up to it by beating Japan’s Kenta Tsneyama 21-13, 21-16 in straight games.
Beating Srikanth should have given HS Prannoy given the much-needed confidence and coming up against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, it was difficult to pick a favourite. But, the Danish shuttler made things too easy for all to pick as he won the match 21-9, 21-15.
India’s challenge in the doubles events saw a mixed day as while the men’s duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy defeated Chinese duo of Liu Cheng and Huang Kai Xiang 15-21, 21-11, 21-19, the mixed duo of Ashwini Ponapppa and Rankireddy have 16-21, 17-21 to Thailand's Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh.
