Top Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu, Kidambai Srikanth and H S Prannoy have entered the singles quarterfinals of Asia Badminton Championships.
At Wuhan in China today, Saina outwitted China’s Gao Fangjie in straight games 21-18 21-8 in a 40-minute clash. She will now face unseeded Korean Lee Jang Mi, who saw off Thailand’s former world champion Ratchanok Intanon.
Third seed Sindhu also registered a commanding 21-12 21-15 win over another Chinese Chen Xiaoxin. She will take on either seventh seed Korean Sung Ji Hyun or Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan next.
Srikanth advanced when his opponent Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent retired at 2-7 in the first game to hand over the quarterfinal spot to the Indian. The 25-year-old from Guntur will face three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei tomorrow.
Prannoy bounced back from a game down to overcome Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei in three games. Prannoy will meet second seed Son Wan Ho of Korea.
B Sai Praneeth, however, went down 12-21 12-21 to Olympic champion Chen Long, seeded third.
Young men’s doubles pair of Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok too found the going tough against the top seeded Chinese combination of Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen, losing 11-21 19-21.
Women’s doubles pair of Meghana Jakkapudi and Poorvisha S Ram also was no match for seventh seeded Thai pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajong and were outdone 9-21 9-21 in just 23 minutes.
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