Saina, Srikanth off to fine starts

● Parupalli Kashyap was trailing 8-14 in the third game when he chose to retire after puling his calf muscle.

Bangkok, Jan. 13: Star shuttler Saina Nehwal and former world number one Kidambi Srikanth entered the second rounds of their respective events but Parupalli Kashyap made an early exit from the Thailand Open Super 1000 tournament, here on Wednesday.

Saina got the better of Selvaduray Kisona of Malaysia 21-15, 21-15 in the women’s singles opening round to set up a clash with Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan.

Saina, who was first forced to withdraw from the event for positive Covid-19 results on Tuesday but later returned a negative test, thanked the Badminton World Federation officials and doctors for allowing her to participate.

“Yesterday, I was given a positive Covid-19 result after my PCR test but I already told them that I had Covid last November, so I have antibodies. I tried to explain this to the doctor and after my blood tests and chest X-rays the doctor said I was OK and I don’t have Covid-19,” Saina said after her win.

“I am thankful to the doctors, the BWF and everyone who made the decision for me to play. It was a tiring day but I am happy I could comeback and play my match.”

Earlier in the day, Srikanth took just 31 minutes to prevail over compatriot Sourabh Verma 21-12, 21-11 in the men’s singles, but Kashyap was forced to retire midway in his opening-round match against Jason Anthony Ho-Shue of Canada.

Kashyap was trailing 8-14 in the third game when he chose to retire after puling his calf muscle.

He had lost the first game 9-21 before making a comeback to take the second 2113. Srikanth will next play eight seed Zii Jia Lee of Malaysia, who defeated another Indian H.S. Prannoy 13-21, 21-14, 21-8.

Sameer Verma too made a first round exit after losing 15-21, 17-21 to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia.

BWF ADDRESSES SRIKANTH COMPLAINT

Badminton World Federation on Wednesday said it is working with Thailand Open organisers to ensure “comfortable” Covid-19 testing conditions during the tournament after Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth was left with a bloodied nose following a test.

The BWF said the Badminton Association of Thailand explained the reasons behind the bleeding.

“Kidambi Srikanth got a bloodied nose after undergoing multiple Covid-19 tests. The athlete had been swabbed three times earlier with the most recent one possibly causing irritation and fragility of the capillaries,” the BWF said in a statement.

“Therefore, when the swab was repeated on Tuesday, and factoring in the athlete’s tense nature, the position of the stick in the nasal passage was misaligned, which caused the slight bleeding noticed from the tip of the swab.”