India’s shuttle queens Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu eased through to the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Championship after they defeated their Chinese opponents in straight games in Wuhan on Thursday.
Nehwal, fresh from her Commonwealth Games gold medal winning run, needed just 40 minutes to pack off Gao Fangjie 21-18, 21-8 while Sindhu fended off the challenge from Chen Xiaoxin 21-12, 21-15 in their respective second round encounters.
The seasoned Nehwal needed time to figure out an opponent she was playing for the first time and Gao managed to open up a 12-8 lead. But the 28-year-old Indian clinched five straight points thereafter to grab the lead and then ensured that she pocketed the opening game.
The second game was a cakewalk for Nehwal as she clinched eight straight points to take a 12-3 lead and had little trouble in closing out the match.
On the adjoining court, Sindhu ensured that Xiaoxin, ranked 19 placed below her, had no chance of creating an upset in her own backyard. The world no 3 was always in control and though her Chinese opponent put up a bit more fight in the second game, the outcome of the match was never in doubt.
Nehwal will now face Korea’s Lee Jang Mi, who upset fourth seed Ratchanok Intanon 19-21, 21-17, 21-15, while Sindhu takes on Sung Ji Hyun of Korea in the quarter-finals.
Earlier, top seed Kidambi Sriknath booked his quarter-final berth without breaking much sweat after Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent retired at 7-2 in the opening game. He will now take on fifth seed Lee Chong Wei, who came back after losing the opening game to beat Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting 16-21, 21-9, 21-11.
However, world number 10 HS Prannoy had to fight hard to reach the last eight round. The 25-year-old came from a game down to beat Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei 16-21, 21-14, 21-12 in 56 minutes to set up a quarterfinal clash against second seed Son Wan Ho.
Singapore Superseries champion B Sai Praneeth was the only Indian singles player to lose on Thursday when he went down 21-12, 21-12 against former world champion Chen Long. However, it was curtains for India’s doubles contingent as the men’s doubles combination of MR Arjun and Shlok Ramchandran fought hard against top seeds Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen but lost 21-11, 21-19 while Poorvisha S Ram and J Meghna lost their women’s doubles second round match 21-8, 21-9 against seventh seeds Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand.
