Sindhu’ s double role in India’ s opening act
After winning her singles tie, Olympic silver medallist joins N Sikki Reddy to edge out Hong Kong 32; Kidambi Srikanth, Sai Praneeth lead men’s charge
n NEWDELHI: PV Sindhu was in top form as the Rio Olympics silver medal list displayed her skills not justin singles but also in women’ s doubles to give India a 3-2 win in their opening Group W round against Hong Kong in the Badmint on Asia Team Championships. The 22- year-old Sindhul ed the Indian women’s team from the front to notch a crucial win at the Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim in Al or Set ar, Malaysia. They will take on Japan in their second and final group match on Thursday to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Sindhu quickly recovered from her heartbreaking loss in the India Open final in New Delhi on Sunday to beat Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin 21-12, 21-18 in 33 minutes in the first singles match.
But thereafter, India went on the back foot as they lost two back-to-back matches to go 1-2 down. Ashwini Ponnappa and
Prajakta Sawant played their heart out but went down 22-20, 20-22, 10-21 to Ng Wing Yung and Yeung Nga Ting in a 52-minute women’s doubles clash.
Then young Sri Krishna Pri ya Kudaravalli took the court against CheungYing Me i but her fight ended with a 19-21, 21-18, 20-22 loss in an hour and six minutes, the longest contest of the tie, in the second singles as India trailed in the five-match tie.
Sindhu truly proved her mettle as she then combined with friend N Sikki Reddy to win the second doubles game, something that is not her forte. The two Indian girlsnot-cheda21-15,15-21, 21-14 win in 48 minutes over Ng Tsz Yau and Yuen Sin Ying to level the tie at 2-all.
After Sindhu’s victory under pressure, it eventually boiled down to the third and final women’ s singles match between India’s Ruthvika Shivani Gadde and Hong K on g’ sYeung Sum Yee.
India looked well and out of the contest when Ruthvika lost the first game 16-21 but she rallied back to clinch the next two 21-16, 21-13 to give India the vital win.
MENRULE
Later in the day, the Indian men’ s team, boasting of singles shuttle rs like World No .5 Kidambi Srikanth, Super series winner BS ai Praneeth and Sameer Verma, thrashed Philippines 5-0 in their opening Group D clash. Srikan thand Sai Pranee thand Verma won the singles while Manu Attri/ B Sumeeth Reddy and MR Arjun/Shlok Ramchandran won the doubles ties.