China Super Series 2017: Indians Have A Field Day
Highlights:
- Saina defeated USA’s Beiwen Zhang in straight games 21-12, 21-13
- Sindhu won 24-22, 23-21
- Prannoy won his first round contest 18-21, 21-16, 21-19.
The Indian contingent had a good outing in the China Super Series 2017 with PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy progressing to round two of the tournament. All three won their respective round one matches to keep the Indian flag flying high in the Open.
Indian ace shuttler Saina Nehwal cruised past her opponent in just 29 minutes in her first match of the series. Facing USA’s Beiwen Zhang, she decimated her with consummate ease winning her match in straight sets. Her lightning-fast game and quick returns were no match for Zhang who crumbled to defeat 21-12, 21-13. PV Sindhu faced a sterner challenge in contrast as she took on Japan’s Sayaka Sato in the final match of the first round. It took her 59 minutes to get past a determined unseeded opponent who took her all the way to the wire in the first game. Coming out on top 24-22 in a tightly contested first match, Sindhu rode on the wave to win another close game and take the match 24-22, 23-21.
HS Prannoy found the going tough as well in his penultimate match of the series. With the match going down to the third and decider game, Prannoy held his nerves to win a long contest lasting more than an hour and a half. Playing Lee Dong Keun of Korea Prannoy won the first round contest 18-21, 21-16, 21-19, bouncing back after losing the first game to win on the day.
It was not so rosy though in the women’s doubles as Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy lost 14-21, 15-21 to Ha Na Baek and Chae Yoo Jung of South Korea in the round of 32. Ponnappa also lost her mixed doubles match along with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy 19-21, 21-17, 13-21 to Mathias Christiansen and Christina Pedersen of Denmark. India faced disappointment in the men’s doubles as well with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty failing to cross the first hurdle losing to Chinese pair of Cheng Liu and Nan Zhang 13-21, 13-21 and Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy losing 18-21, 15-21 to Marcus Fernaldi and Kevin Sanjaya.
For more updates, do Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.