Three-time champion Saina Nehwal started her campaign on a positive note with a straight-game demolition of Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk but it was early exit for P.V. Sindhu, K. Srikanth and P. Kashyap in the $750,000 BCA Indonesia Super Series Premier here on Wednesday.
A winner of the tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2012, Saina continued her good run as she brushed aside World No. 9 Porntip 21-15, 21-10 in the women’s singles competition to register her seventh win over her Thai opponent.
World No. 10 Sindhu, however, failed to cross the opening hurdle as she lost 24-26, 17-21 to third seed and Olympic silver medallist Yihan Wang of China in a 47-minute match.
Heartbreak In the men’s singles, there was nothing but heartbreaks for India as both Kashyap and Srikanth lost their hard-fought first round battles against world No. 4 Kenichi Tago of Japan and 37th-ranked Chen Yuekun of China respectively.
While Kashyap, ranked 20th, squandered a one-game advantage to go down 21-19, 8-21, 22-24 against fourth seed Tago, Yuekun got the better of world No. 23 Srikanth 21-12, 17-21, 21-16 in another match.
Sourabh Varma and H.S. Prannoy crashed out in the qualifiers on Tuesday. The mixed doubles pair of Tarun Kona and Ashwini Ponnappa also couldn’t make it to the main draw. While Sourabh lost to Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo of Indonesia 21-13, 19-21, 21-16, Prannoy lost 22-20, 22-20 to Alamsyah Yunus of Indonesia.
Germany’s mixed doubles pair of Peter Kaesbauer and Isabel Herttrich defeated Tarun and Ashwini 19-21, 21-14, 21-19 in another match on Tuesday.
