Singapore Open 2017 | Sindhu and Praneeth struggle into second round while Srikanth cruises

Sindhu was pushed the distance by Nozomi Okuhara from Japan who took the first game 10-21. The 21-year-old dominated Okuhara in the second but the Japanese managed to level the game up at six points apiece, before Sindhu won 9 consecutive points to force a decider. With something between her teeth, the lanky Indian broke free at 9-8 in the third game to take a 16-8 lead and in no time made it to 20-14. The Indian star had 6 match point opportunities, but the diminutive Okuhara saved all six before Sindhu closed out the game with two winners to seal a 10-21, 21-15, 22-20 victory. She will now face Fitriani Fitriani of Indonesia in the second round.

Meanwhile, Rituparna Das lost 18-21, 13-21 to Hsu Ya Ching of Taiwan. Sai Praneeth on the other hand also had to come from a game down against Emil Hilst before winning it 17-21, 21-7, 21-19. In the women’s doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy beat Yin Loo Lim and Yap Cheng Wen of Malaysia 21-19, 21-19. Ponnappa and Sumeeth Reddy also won in the mixed doubles beating Venkat Prasad and Juhi Dewangan  21-13, 21-14.