Japan Open 2018 LIVE: Srikanth Progress, Sindhu & Prannoy Bow Out

India’s world no. 8 Kidambi Srikanth had won the pre-quarter match without breaking a sweat as he avenged his Asian Games loss to Wong Wing Ki Vincent of Indonesia with 21-15, 21-14 and secured the quarters berth at the BWF Super 700 Japan Open 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.

While, India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu, lost the weary battle to the Chinese Gao Fangjie in the straight sets of the 54-minute encounter with 18-21, 19-21. Previously, Sindhu lost to Gao at the 2017 China Open.

While for HS Prannoy, it is curtains down as he lost to the giant killer Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who defeated the world no. 10 Kento Momota and the Olympic champion Chen Long at the Asian Games 2018.

Errors started lining up at the Japan Open 2018 Pre-Quarters for Sindhu in the second game, before putting the decent fight recovering from 2-8 trail to 17-14 lead in the opening game. She was 15-20 down before saving 4 points and handing over the match to the Chinese by hitting into the net.

Meanwhile in doubles, India’s Men’s Doubles aces Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy lost to the Chinese duo He Jiting and Tan Qiang with 18-21, 21-16, 12-21, and in the Mixed Doubles event Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy lost to the Malaysia pair Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying with 16-21, 16-21.

In the Women’s Singles event, with her deception, Gao troubled Sindhu early in the first game and cruised to a 8-2 lead, but the Indian gradually found her pace by reaching the bird and returning perfectly, narrowing the gap with 8-10 by the half time. Sindhu’s poor return towards the net gave a three-point advantage to the Chinese.

In the second game, the Indian grabbed a huge lead of 5-0 before committing a service error. Soon Gao started dominating with the rallies and clawed back at 7-7 after pushing the shuttlecock to the weak return from Sindhu, and continued towards the match point to end Sindhu’s campaign.