PV Sindhu advances at French Open badminton, Saina Nehwal pulls out with injury
PV Sindhu won in straight games against Julie Jakobsen. Saina Nehwal retired injured while trailing against Sayaka Takahashi.
India’s PV Sindhu beat Denmark’s Julie Jakobsen 21-15, 21-18 to advance to the second round in the women’s singles event at the French Open 2021 on Wednesday.
PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion, will next face Line Christophersen of Denmark at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris.
Tokyo Olympians and world No. 10 pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also progressed to the men’s doubles round of 16 after beating Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan 18-21, 21-17, 21-13.
However, London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal was forced to retire from her opening round match with an injury.
Saina Nehwal was trailing 21-11, 9-2 against Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi in her women’s singles clash when she decided to concede.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and Saina Nehwal’s husband Parupalli Kashyap was also eliminated in the opening round of the men’s singles.
Parupalli Kashyap, who had returned to action after a long break at the Denmark Open last week, fell 17-21, 21-17, 11-21 to Frenchman Brice Leverdez.
Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth suffered a 18-21, 22-20, 19-21 loss to Kento Momota of Japan, the current world No. 1, in the men’s singles. This was Srikanth’s eleventh straight loss to Momota.
In a bruising contest, Kidambi Srikanth lost the first game but bounced back in the second to take it to a decider. In the third game, the Indian badminton player was leading 19-17 but Kento Momota won four straight points to close out the match.
Indian results on Day 2 of French Open 2021
Women’s singles
PV Sindhu beat Julie Jakobsen 21-15, 21-18
Saina Nehwal lost to Sayaka Takahashi 11-21, 2-9 (retired)
Men’s singles
Sourabh Verma beat Ygor Coelho 22-20, 21-19
Lakshya Sen beat Nhat Nguyen 21-10, 21-16
Kidambi Srikanth lost to Kento Momota 18-21, 22-20, 19-21
Parupalli Kashyap lost to Brice Leverdez 17-21, 21-17, 11-21
HS Prannoy lost to Chou Tien Chen 11-21, 14-21
Men’s doubles
MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila beat Joshua Magee/Paul Reynolds 21-13, 21-7
Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy beat Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan 18-21, 21-17, 21-13
Manu Attri/B Sumeeth Reddy lost to Ko Sung Hyun/Shin Baekcheol 14-21, 16-21
Women’s doubles
Meghana Jakkampudi/Poorvisha Ram lost to Alyssa Tirtosentono/Imke Van der Aar 4-11 (retired)
Ashwini Ponnappa/N Sikki Reddy lost to Lee Sohee/Shin Seungchan 16-21, 17-21
Mixed doubles
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Ashwini Ponnappa beat Mathias Thyrri/Mai Surrow 21-19, 21-15