Korea Open: Jwala, Ashwini bow out

Commonwealth Games gold medallist pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa suffered a straight-game defeat in the women’s doubles third round of the $600,000 Korea Open Super Series badminton tournament here on Thursday.

The third-seeded Korean pair of Ye Na Jang and So Young Kim defeated World championships bronze medallists Jwala and Ashwini 21-18, 21-12 in a 40-minute contest.

Ashwini also suffered heartbreak in mixed doubles when she, along with partner Tarun Kona, lost 10-21, 15-21 to seventh seeds Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels of Germany in a 31-minute match.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jwala and Ashwini defeated the New Zealand pair of Anna Rankin and Madeleine Stapleton 21-10, 21-7 in the second round.

The results:On Thursday:Women’s doubles: Third round: Ye Na Jang & So Young Kim (Kor) bt Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponnappa 21-18, 21-12. Mixed doubles: Michael Fuchs & Birgit Michels (Ger) bt Ashwini & Tarun Kona 21-10, 21-15.

On Wednesday: Men’s singles: K. Srikanth lost to Kenichi Tago 21-10, 21-11; R.M.V. Gurusaidutt lost to Takuma Ueda 21-11, 21-11.

Mixed doubles: Ashwini & Tarun bt Johannes Schoettler & Johanna Goliszewski 22-20, 21-17. — PTI