Srikanth, Prannoy lose in quarters
New Delhi, Sept. 22: Kidambi Srikanth and H.S. Prannoy were beaten in the quarter-finals while Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N. Sikki Reddy advanced to the mixed doubles semifinals of the Japan Open Super Series in Tokyo on Friday.
The 25-year-old Srikanth went down 17-21, 17-21 to world no. 2 and world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in 40 minutes.
Axelsen now has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over Srikanth, having won their last three duels.
US Open champion Prannoy suffered a 15-21, 14-21 loss to China’s second seed Shi Yuqi in 45 minutes.
Pranaav and Sikki kept India’s flag flying, defeating Korea’s Seung Jae Seo and Kim Ha Na 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 to set up a clash with Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Sayaka Hirota.
World number one Son Wan-Ho overpowered twotime Olympic champion Lin Dan of China while newly crowned women’s world champion Nozomi Okuhara reached the women’s semi-finals.
South Korea’s Son beat the Chinese great with a hard-fought 21-15, 21-15 victory and now faces Axelsen in the semis.
Defending champion Lee Chong Wei squeezed past fourth-seeded rising star Chou Tien-chen of Taipei 21-11, 15-21, 21-19.
The Malaysian, who has won the Japan Open six times, will face Shi in the other semi-final.
In the women’s draw, Okuhara pleased home fans with a 21-16, 23-21 win against Beiwen Zhang, representing the USA.