India endured a disappointing day at the China Open Super 1000 badminton event on Tuesday with HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, the pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, Priyanshu Rajawat and the pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila exiting in the first round of their respective events.
Prannoy, fresh after winning a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships, faced Ng Tze Yong in the first round. The Malaysian blew away Prannoy in the first game winning it 21-12. The second game was similarly one-sided, this time in Prannoy’s favour, as the Indian forced a decider by winning the game 21-13.
After an even start to the third game, Prannoy stitched together a some good points and took a 13-8 lead. However, Yong fought back to level the score twice and then went on a four-point run to clinch the game 21-12, 13-21, 21-18.
Up against Indonesia’s Sheshar Hiren Rushtavito, Rajawat lost the first game 21-13. The second game was a keenly fought battle with the lead being switched many times. The Indian had game points on two occasions but was unable to convert them as Rushtavito clinched the match 21-13, 26-24.
The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also bowed out in the first round. Days after losing to eventual World Champions Qing Chen Chen and Jia Yi Fan at the World Championships, the Indians lost to the Chinese pair 21-18, 21-11.
In the final men’s singles match featuring an Indian, Sen faced Denmark’s Anders Antonsen. The Indian held three match points but could not convert as the Dane snatched the first game 23-21. The second game was a similarly close one until Sen won six of the last eight points to win the game 21-16.
The Indian, however, could not build on his momentum in the third game as Antonsen secured a 23-21, 16-21, 21-9 win.
The men’s doubles pair of Arjun and Kapila exited the tournament after losing to Japan’s Keiichiro Matsui and Yoshinori Takeuchi 23-21, 21-19.