The much anticipated second round clash between PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal in the ongoing Japan Open has been squashed, as the former lost her first round tie against Japan's Minatsu Mitani, who won the match in three sets. The match finished 21-12, 17-21, 21-11 in the favour of the Japanese star.
However, Saina, as expected, progressed to the second round of the Japan Open, defeating Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungpan in the first round with the score reading 21-14, 22-20. Ongbumrungpan did turn up the heat in the second set, but Saina brought her experience into play and won the match in 42 minutes .
Saina will meet Mitani in the second round of the competition.
Along with Saina, Parupalli Kashyap was the other Indian shuttler to have won his match in an, otherwise, rather disappointing day for India. Kashyap progressed into the second round after his Japanese opponent Takuma Ueda retired, two minutes after start.
India's run in the women's doubles came to an early end as both the Indian pairs – Jwala Gutta /Ashwini Ponnappa and Pradnya Gadre/N Sikky Reddy – were shown the exit doors in the first round of the competition.
Jwala and Ashwini, who were expected to put up a good showing in the women's doubles, put up a strong fight against the eighth seeded Chinese pair of Zhong Qianxin and Zhao Yunlei, who won the match 22-20, 18-21, 21-13.
Three other Indian shuttlers – B Sai Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy -- are scheduled to play later in the day against their respective opponents. After a disappointing performance by the men shuttlers in the World Championships, they are going to be more than determined to come up with a better showing in the Japan Open.
