Returning to action after a break, double Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu saw off Turkey’s Neslihan Yigit in straight games to join compatriots K. Srikanth and Sameer Verma in the second round of the Denmark Open here on Tuesday.
Sindhu, the reigning world champion, took 30 minutes to get across Yigit, ranked 29th, 21-12, 21-10 in her women’s singles opener of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament.
She will next face Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
Former champion Srikanth and Sameer also made winning starts to their men’s singles campaigns at the $850,000 event.
Short work
While Srikanth outsmarted compatriot B. Sai Praneeth 21-14, 21-11 in 30 minutes, Sameer, ranked 28th, prevailed over Thailand’s World No. 21 Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-17, 21-14 in a 42-minute clash.
World No. 14 Srikanth will meet World No. 1 and top seeded Japanese Kento Momota in the second round, while Sameer is likely to face Denmark’s third seed Anders Antonsen in the next round.
Indian men’s doubles players, however, had a mixed day in office.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated English pair of Callum Hemming and Steven Stallwood 23-21, 21-15 in their opener and M.R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila stunned England’s World No. 17 pair of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-19, 21-15 to make a positive start to their campaign.
However, Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy lost 21-18, 21-11 to Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the opening round to bow out of the competition.
The results: First round: Men: K. Srikanth bt B. Sai Praneeth 21-14, 21-11; Sameer Verma bt Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) 21-17, 21-14.
Doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty bt Callum Hemming & Steven Stallwood (Eng) 23-21, 21-15; M.R. Arjun & Dhruv Kapila bt Ben Lane & Sean Vendy (Eng) 21-19, 21-15; Manu Attri & B. Sumeeth Reddy lost to Goh Sze Fei & Nur Izzuddin (Mas) 21-18, 21-11.
Women: P.V. Sindhu bt Neslihan Yigit (Tur) 21-12, 21-10
Mixed Doubles: Dhruv & Sikki bt Pang Ron Hoo & Yee See Cheah (Kor) 14-21, 21-17, 21-18 .