Defending Champion India faces Thailand in their Thomas Cup Opener.
While the Thomas Cup is the world badminton team championship for men, the Uber Cup is the women’s version. Both championships are held simultaneously biannually.
Star Indian badminton player PV Sindhu started her Japan Open tournament on a winning note as she registered a convincing win against her opponent Yue Han in the first round clash of the competition.
Sindhu needed just 37 minutes to ease past her opponent 21-9, 21-17 in her first match of the tournament. She will now have to face Japan’s Aya Ohori whom she met recently in the Indonesia Open.
Kidambi Srikanth, however, was knocked out of the men’s singles event after experiencing a massive defeat to his fellow Indian HS Prannoy in the first round of the competition itself. Prannoy beat Srikanth 13-21, 21-11, 22-20 in a one hour match.
Advertisement
Sameer Verma was also knocked out of the competition after getting beaten by Anders Antonsen of Denmark in his first match.
In men’s double category, the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty proceeded to the subsequent round of the competition defeating Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge 21-16, 21-17 in 43 minutes.
In the mixed doubles category, Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Reddy N. Sikki were knocked out of the tournament after losing their opening match against Zhend Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiaong in less than half an hour.
In the women’s doubles event, Ashwini Ponappa and Reddy N Sikki lost to kong Hee Yong and Kim So Yeong of South Korea to make a first-round exit.
On Thursday, India’s B Sai Praneeth will be up against Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan. On the other hand, Prannoy will be up against Rasmus Gemke of Denmark.
In the mixed doubles event, Ashwini Ponappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will lock horns with Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the second round of Japan Open.
Advertisement
