Indian shuttlers P.V. Sindhu and K. Srikanth made impressive starts to their campaign, progressing to the second round of the Indonesia Open with contrasting wins at the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament here on Wednesday.
Rejuvenated
Rejuvenated after a month-long break from a hectic BWF schedule, Sindhu and Srikanth prevailed over Japan’s Aya Ohori and Kenta Nishimoto in the women’s and men’s singles respectively.
Fifth seed Sindhu, who is eyeing her first title of the season, defeated Ohori 11-21, 21-15, 21-15 while eighth seed Srikanth, who had made the India Open final this year, beat Nishimoto 21-14 21-13 in 38 minutes.
While Sindhu extended her stranglehold over Ohori with a seventh straight victory, it was Srikanth’s fifth win over Nishomoto in six meetings.
While World No. 5 Sindhu will face either Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt or Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin, World No. 9 Srikanth meets the winner of the clash between France’s Brice Leverdez and Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus.
Prannoy and Sai Praneeth out
H.S. Prannoy and B. Sai Praneeth bowed out of the men’s singles.
Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent scored a 21-15, 13-21, 21-10 victory over Praneeth, who had made the Swiss Open final this year.
China’s second seed Shi Yu Qi was a 19-21, 21-18, 22-20 winner over Prannoy.
The mixed doubles pair of R. Satwiksairaj and Ashwini Ponnappa also crashed out after losing 13-21, 11-21 to Indonesia’s Winny Oktavina Kandow and Tontowi Ahmad.
Indian results: Men’s singles: K. Srikanth bt Kenta Nishimoto (Jpn) 21-14 21-13; Wing Ki Vincent (HKg) bt B. Sai Praneeth 21-15, 13-21, 21-10; Shi Yu Qi (Chn) bt H.S. Prannoy 19-21, 21-18, 22-20. Women’s singles: P.V. Sindhu bt Aya Ohori (Jpn) -21, 21-15, 21-15. Mixed doubles: Winny Oktavina Kandow & Tontowi Ahmad (Ina) bt R. Satwiksairaj & Ashwini Ponnappa 21-13, 21-11.
