SINDHU ENTERS RD 2, SAINA BOWS OUT
New Delhi, April 26: P.V. Sindhu cruised into the second round but Saina Nehwal was beaten in the Badminton Asia Championships in Wuhan, China, on Wednesday.
World no. 3 Sindhu defeated Indonesia’s Dinar Dyah Ayustine 21-8, 21-18 in only 31 minutes.
Seventh seed Saina, who has twice won bronze here, went down to Japan’s Sayaka Sato 19-21, 21-16, 21-18.
In men’s singles, Ajay Jayaram beat fifth seeded China’s Houwei Tian 2118, 18-21, 21-19 to progress to the second round.
But H.S. Prannoy lost to eighth seeded Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus 16-21, 21-13, 19-21. In mixed doubles, Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N. Sikki Reddy lost to top seeds China’s Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen 15-21, 2114, 16-21 in 50 minutes.
In women’s doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and Reddy were beaten 20-22, 16-21 to South Korea’s Chae Yoo Jung and Kim So Yeong in 37 minutes.