Saina, Kashyap, Sourabh in pre-quarters of Thailand Open

Saina, Kashyap, Sourabh in pre-quarters of Thailand Open



(File image) In this April 27, 2011 photograph, Saina Nehwal is seen in action at the India Open Super Series 2011 in New Delhi - PTI

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal notched up a thrilling three-game victory over Chinese Lu Lan in the opening round to advance to the pre-quarters of the Thailand Grand Prix Gold in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Commonwealth games bronze medallist P. Kashyap and young shuttler Sourabh Verma also registered contrasting wins to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the men's singles category.

World number four and top seed Saina staved off a challenge from Lu 21-17 14-21 21-18 in the first round women's singles match which lasted around an hour.

India's top men's singles player Kashyap, seeded 14th, also brushed aside Poodchalat Pisit 21-17 9-21 21-11 in a 52-minute match first before going past Indonesian Sukamta Evert 21-13 21-14 in the second round.

Kashyap will next take on Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif of Malaysia on Thursday.

Sourabh also made a resounding start to his campaign, beating Andre Kurniawan Tedjono 15-21 21-19 22-20 in an hour and 11 minutes match in his first round.

The Madhya Pradesh then saw off Jen Hao Hsu of Chinese Taipei 21-17 20-22 21-16 to set up a clash with Malaysian qualifier Beng Hong Kuan in the third round tomorrow.

His countrymate RMV Gurusai Datt, however, could not make it to the pre-quarters after losing a gallant battle against 16th seed Choong Hann Wong of Malaysia 13-21 21-19 12-21. Guru had defeated Malaysian Kwong Beng Chan 21-10 20-22 21-10 in the first round.

Ajay Jayaram too failed to cross the second round after going down to fourth seed Jin Chen of China 12-21 21-15 18-21 at the CU Sport complex.

He had beaten Chinese Taipei's Tien Chen Chou 21-14 21-17 in a 35-minute first round match.

Arundhati Pantawane, who had won the Gold Medal in National Games at Ranchi, registered wins in the first two qualification rounds but failed to get across her third round opponent Hung Yung Chan of Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Saina, Jwala-Ashwini hold Indian interest

e field offers plenty of depth in all five sections . — Photo : Rajeev Bhatt

CONFIDENT DUO:Indian badminton specialists G. Jwala (left) and Ashwini Ponappa during an interactive session with the media.

NEW DELHI: Saina Nehwal, the doubles combination of G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa, apart from Malaysia's World number One Lee Chong Wei, return to the Siri Fort Sports Complex here with memories of another day.

In October last, these leading badminton stars claimed gold medals in the the Commonwealth Games in contrasting ways. They are all looking for an encore in front of a packed house once the inaugural $200,000 India Open Super Series begins on Tuesday.

However, the Chinese have stayed away due to their National League but the field still offers plenty of depth in all five sections.

The showpiece event

The showpiece event will, as always, be the men's singles, where Lee Chong Wei, World No. 2 and former Olympic Gold medallist Taufik Hidayat and World No. 6, former World champion Denmark's Peter Gade are the star attractions.

But the Indian interest will only more in the ladies singles for two reasons — the prospects of Saina winning the title and the lack of serious Indian challenge in the men's section.

Saina, ranked fourth in the world, was hopeful of repeating her title-winning sequence. Winner of the Swiss Open this year, Saina said, “It is going to be tough but I am confident of doing well again.

I have trained hard and my ankle is much better,” assured the Hyderabad girl, who has been nursing an ankle injury in the season so far.

Saina is drawn to play Japanese girls Ai Guto in the opening round with the prospect of facing Indonesia's Maria Kusumastuti before the much-awaited quarterfinals against Japan's Eriko Hirose.

Hirose had ended Saina's run in the All England championship in March but the Indian avenged the defeat the following week on way to the Swiss Open title. The presence of other Indian girl, National champion Aditi Mutatkar, does not promise much. Four other qualifiers, mostly Indians, will complete the 32-player draw on Tuesday evening.

Best Indian hope

In the men's singles, India's best hope P. Kashyap is drawn to play Hidayat in the second round. National champion Arvind Bhat, Ajay Jayaram, Guru Sai Dutt and Anand Pawar are the other Indians in main draw. Some more will join after Tuesday's qualifying rounds.

Besides, Saina, the country's best title-prospect is in the ladies doubles were Jwala and Ashwini are confident of going all the way.

Seeded eighth, the Indian girls gain strength from the fact that they have beaten the top two Japanese seeds, favourite Madeka Miyuki-Suetsuna Satoko and Fujii Mizuki-Kakiiwa Reika, at least once.

“We skipped the Asian championship to prepare for this event,' said an articulate Jwala and continued, “we are well prepared but I do not want to look beyond the first match. We will take it as we go along.”

Jwala did feel sad about the fact that the event has not been publicised at all. “On my way to the hotel (from the airport), I noticed that there was not a single hoarding any where. Even outside the stadium, there is nothing. It really feels sad.”

Saina, Jwala-Ashwini hold Indian interest

e field offers plenty of depth in all five sections . — Photo : Rajeev Bhatt

CONFIDENT DUO:Indian badminton specialists G. Jwala (left) and Ashwini Ponappa during an interactive session with the media.

NEW DELHI: Saina Nehwal, the doubles combination of G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa, apart from Malaysia's World number One Lee Chong Wei, return to the Siri Fort Sports Complex here with memories of another day.

In October last, these leading badminton stars claimed gold medals in the the Commonwealth Games in contrasting ways. They are all looking for an encore in front of a packed house once the inaugural $200,000 India Open Super Series begins on Tuesday.

However, the Chinese have stayed away due to their National League but the field still offers plenty of depth in all five sections.

The showpiece event

The showpiece event will, as always, be the men's singles, where Lee Chong Wei, World No. 2 and former Olympic Gold medallist Taufik Hidayat and World No. 6, former World champion Denmark's Peter Gade are the star attractions.

But the Indian interest will only more in the ladies singles for two reasons — the prospects of Saina winning the title and the lack of serious Indian challenge in the men's section.

Saina, ranked fourth in the world, was hopeful of repeating her title-winning sequence. Winner of the Swiss Open this year, Saina said, “It is going to be tough but I am confident of doing well again.

I have trained hard and my ankle is much better,” assured the Hyderabad girl, who has been nursing an ankle injury in the season so far.

Saina is drawn to play Japanese girls Ai Guto in the opening round with the prospect of facing Indonesia's Maria Kusumastuti before the much-awaited quarterfinals against Japan's Eriko Hirose.

Hirose had ended Saina's run in the All England championship in March but the Indian avenged the defeat the following week on way to the Swiss Open title. The presence of other Indian girl, National champion Aditi Mutatkar, does not promise much. Four other qualifiers, mostly Indians, will complete the 32-player draw on Tuesday evening.

Best Indian hope

In the men's singles, India's best hope P. Kashyap is drawn to play Hidayat in the second round. National champion Arvind Bhat, Ajay Jayaram, Guru Sai Dutt and Anand Pawar are the other Indians in main draw. Some more will join after Tuesday's qualifying rounds.

Besides, Saina, the country's best title-prospect is in the ladies doubles were Jwala and Ashwini are confident of going all the way.

Seeded eighth, the Indian girls gain strength from the fact that they have beaten the top two Japanese seeds, favourite Madeka Miyuki-Suetsuna Satoko and Fujii Mizuki-Kakiiwa Reika, at least once.

“We skipped the Asian championship to prepare for this event,' said an articulate Jwala and continued, “we are well prepared but I do not want to look beyond the first match. We will take it as we go along.”

Jwala did feel sad about the fact that the event has not been publicised at all. “On my way to the hotel (from the airport), I noticed that there was not a single hoarding any where. Even outside the stadium, there is nothing. It really feels sad.”