India's top seed Saina Nehwal eased past Australia's Simone Prutsch 21-7, 21-9 in the first round of the India Open Super Series badminton championship, while India's PV Sindhu couldn't overcome second seeded Wang Shixian losing 15-21, 21-12, 10-21.
Sindhu had beaten the Chinese thrice before including the recently concluded Swiss Open quarterfinals. Having lost the first game, Sindhu bounced back in the second, but the former world no. 1's experience proved too overwhelming for the 18 year old as she lost the match.
"I lost points that I should have won," Sindhu said after the match talking of her errors.
Shixian, however, knew she had done something right to add one win against Sindhu in the four matches they have played against eachother. But, after the match, all she managed to say was, "No pressure."
Moving ahead, eight seed Saina will face Thailand's Natcha Saengchot in the second round of the $250,000 event.
In men's singles, the world no. 6 now dropped to 24 - Parupalli Kashyap did well enough to oust sixth seed Wang Zhengming 21-12, 17-21, 21-12.
"Just so happy to be able to beat him," Kashyap said after the win. "I lost to him twice before and he is a kind of player who reads me well. He anticipates my strokes. Today I was anticipating his stokes better."
"The good thing is that today my level never dropped. I lost the second game, but I did not lose my confidence. He is not among the fittest of Chinese players, but he is good with his strokes and movements on court."
Kashyap will face Guru Sai Dutt, who beat Taipei's Chou Tien Chen 17-21, 21-16, 21-17, in the next round. In other news from the Indian box, K Srikanth lost 18-21, 18-21 to Takuma Ueda of Japan.
In women's doubles, India's Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa beat the Thai duo of Chayanit and Munkitamorn 21-19, 17-21, 21-14. They will face top-seeded Yunlei Zhao and Nan Zhang in the next challenge.
