As it happened - Toyota Thailand Open, Day 1: PV Sindhu, Chirag-Satwik through, Saina Nehwal crashes out
Indian badminton players had a mixed opening day at the Toyota Thailand Open with PV Sindhu headlining the performance. Relive it here.
6:05 PM IST - It's a wrap for Indian shuttlers on Day 1
After Day 1 of the Toyota Thailand Open, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Sameer Verma, men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and the mixed doubles team of Satwik and Ashwini Ponnappa moved on to the second round of the tournament.
There were a few disappointments, too, primarily with Saina Nehwal’s early exit at the hands of Ratchanok Intanon.
The day off kicked off on a positive note as PV Sindhu picked up a straight game victory over Thai opponent Busanan Ongbamrungphan to put her first-round exit at the Yonex Thailand Open behind her.
Srikanth soon followed up with an easy win over Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin before Satwik and Ashwini dispatched Danish pair Niclas Nohr and Amalie Magelund with ease.
Sourabh Verma and Saina Nehwal, though, failed to extend the run as they went down to Anthony Ginting and Intanon respectively.
Saina’s husband Parupalli Kashyap endured another disappointing day after having to retire hurt against Rasmus Gemke early in his match. The 34-year-old had to concede his Yonex Thailand Open match last week too due to an injury.
Sameer Verma, however, plucked up the win of the day, upsetting world No. 10 Lee Zii Jia in a three-game thriller.
In the final match of the day involving Indian shuttlers, Satwik picked up his second win as he partnered with Chirag Shetty to knock out another Indian pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy.
That’s all from Day 1 of the Toyota Thailand Open 2021. Tune in tomorrow for the Day 2 live blog.
5:38 PM IST - Chirag-Satwik through to the second round
The second game followed a similar narrative as the first. Attri and Sumeeth raced off the blocks and seemed to be in control with a 18-11 lead. But Chirag and Satwin once again bounced back to take the tightly fought second game 28-26.
Score: Attri/Sumeeth 20-22, 26-28 Chirag/Satwik
5:10 PM IST - Attri-Sumeeth squanders early advantage
Attri and Sumeeth started the match on the front foot and went on to take a 13-8 lead in the first game. Chirag-Satwik, though, came roaring back and took the game to their opponents and emerged on top.
Score: Attri/Sumeeth 20-22 Chirag/Satwik
4:50 PM IST - Indian doubles pairs on the court
The two Indian teams are on the court for their match. Can Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy upset India's top-rated men's doubles team of Chirag and Satwik?
Score: Attri/Sumeeth 0-0 Chirag/Satwik
4:15 PM IST - Toyota Thailand Open 2nd round draw for qualified Indian badminton players
Second round matches for Sindhu, Srikanth and Co. have already started taking shape. Srikanth will face off against world No. 3 Anders Antonsen while Sindhu will battle it out with Malaysia's Kisona Selvaduray.
Here are the confirmed draws so far:
Men's singles 2nd round
Kidambi Srikanth vs Anders Antonsen
Sameer Verma vs Rasmus Gemke
Women's singles 2nd round
PV Sindhu vs Kisona Selvaduray
Mixed doubles 2nd round
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Ashwini Ponnappa vs Mark Lamsfuss/Isabel Herttrich
3:30 PM IST - All Indian men's doubles clash beckons
The final match involving Indian shuttlers on Day 1 of the Toyota Thailand Open will feature as many as four of them. Men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will take guard opposite to Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy.
Coming up shortly...
12:55 PM IST - Saina exits Toyota Thailand Open
Disappointing match for Saina Nehwal. Intanon only upped the ante and picked up the ten points she needed to win whilst conceding just three to Saina.
Saina Nehwal's journey at the Toyota Thailand Open ends early.
Score: Saina 17-21, 8-21 Intanon
In the second game my ankle was hurting a bit. I was not mentally prepared for this tournament. I was down during the interval of the second game, and my coach told me to just focus on playing my own style. It was all about my mind. I think this will give me confidence for the rest of the tournament. – Sameer Verma
12:53 PM IST - Sameer Verma pulls off an incredible upset
Sameer Verma has pulled off a shock comeback victory against Jia. The Indian showed incredible character in the final two games to come back from the disappointment of letting a sizeable lead slip in the third.
Verma led the decider from start to end and despite losing three game points, held his nerve to wrap up the match.
Score: Sameer 18-21, 27-25, 21-19 Jia
12:49 PM IST - Worrying signs for Saina
Saina is finding it difficult to break Intanon's steady rhythm. The Thai player seems primed to take the match with a 11-5 lead heading into the break of the second game.
Can the Indian ace mount a comeback?
Score: Saina 17-21, 5-11 Intanon
12:45 PM IST - PV Sindhu delighted with her win
India's PV Sindhu, in her post match interview, expressed her delight at having clinched her first win since returning to competitive badminton.
She last played at the All England Open in March 2020 and lost her first round match at the Yonex Thailand Open last week. Watch the full video below:
12:40 PM IST - Saina Nehwal goes a game down
Much better performance from Saina but Intanon upped her own game to match the Indian's improvement. The Thai player looked firmly in control throughout before clinching the first game 21-17
Do-or-die for Saina in the second game.
Score: Saina 17-21 Intanon
12:32 PM IST - Sameer Verma takes his match into third game
With Jia racing to a 10-3 lead, it all seemed over for Sameer Verma but the Indian shuttler showed some grit and brilliant badminton late on to level it up at 20-20.
In a nerve-wracking final batch of rallies, the Indian persevered to win the marathon second game 27-25. Everything to play for in the third game.
Score: Sameer 18-21, 27-25 Jia
12:29 PM IST - Early advantage to Intanon
After a close opening few minutes, Intanon broke away and built up a 11-7 lead going into the first mid-week game of the contest. The Thai players seems to be in good form with a firm control over the mid court and picking up quick points with sompe pin-point placements.
Saina 7-11 Intanon
12:15 PM IST – Saina Nehwal braced for Ratchanok Intanon test
Indian women’s singles ace Saina Nehwal has entered Court 1 for her first match against local favourite Ratchanok Intanon – the current world No. 5.
Saina enjoys a good 11-5 record in her head-to-heads against Intanon and has won each of their previous five fixtures. But Intanon, who will be playing Saina for the first time since 2018, is the player in form currently.
An intriguing contest awaits!
Saina 0-0 Intanon
11:55 AM IST - Sameer Verma lets early lead slip against Jia
Sameer Verma put a determined stand against the world No. 10 and raced to a 15-9 lead at one point. Jia, though, forced his way back into the match just when it seemed like Sameer was in the driver's seat. The Malaysian used his power and guile well to edge the first game 21-18.
Score: Sameer 18-21 Jia
11:35 AM IST - Sameer Verma up against Lee Zii Jia in men's singles
Up next, Sameer Verma - Sourabh Verma's brother - will go up against Malaysian shuttler Lee Zii Jia. The Indian will be up for a tough challenge against eight-seed Jia, whom he has beaten only once in five meetings.
Score: Sameer 0-0 Jia
It's never nice to win a match because someone retires, Kashyap seems to be struggling with an injury and I don't know what it is. I can't do anything about it, I just have to be positive and be ready for the next round. - Rasmus Gemke
11:22 AM IST - Kashyap concedes the match
The Indian's recovery seems to have not gone to plan. Kashyap is forced to retire hurt again shortly after the match started. Unfortunate end for the 34-year-old.
Score: Kashyap (retired hurt) 0-3 Gemke
11:12 AM IST - Parupalli Kashyap hopes to put injury woes behind
Following up Sourabh on Court 3 will be Parupalli Kashyap. The 34-year-old faces Denmark's Rasmus Gemke in his first round tie and will look to avoid the same fate as his Indian compatriot from the previous match.
Kashyap had to pull out of his Yonex Thailand Open first round match due to a muscle pull and it will be interesting to see if he has fully recovered.
Score: Kashyap 0-0 Gemke
It was a good match, Ginting was playing really well. I was trying to stick to my strategy but he was too good and very quick today. The conditions on the court are tricky; one side is slow and one side is faster. I selected the slower side but Anthony played really well today. - Sourabh Verma
11:10 AM IST - Sourabh goes down as Indian shuttlers suffer first defeat of Day 1
Sourabh Verma put up a valiant effort but Ginting's class was a bit too much for the Indian to overcome. Sourabh's loss marks the first loss for Indian shuttlers on the opening day of the Toyota Thailand Open.
Score: Sourabh 16-21, 11-21 Ginting
10:55 AM IST - Sourabh Verma loses first game
The Indian managed to hold his own against his higher-ranked opponent in the early goings but slipped up towards the end. Ginting takes the first game 21-16.
Score: Sourabh 16-21 Ginting
10:37 AM IST - Satwik-Ponnappa continues India's winning run at Toyota Thailand Open
It's three wins out of three for Indian badminton players so far at the Toyota Thailand Open.
Another thrilling game saw the Dane's put up a solid fight but a late flurry saw the Indians pick up the final six points of the match to win it in straight games. Satwik's power and Ponnappa's craft worked its magic on the court as the Indian duo progressed to the second round.
Score: Satwik/Ponnappa 23-21, 21-18 Nohr/Magelund
10:30 AM IST - Sourabh Verma up against world No. 6 Ginting
India's first match of the day in Court 3 will see Sourabh Verma go up against Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting - the world No. 6 in men's singles rankings.
Sourabh Verma is out looking for his first-ever win against the Indonesian, who came out on top in both their previous two clashes.
Score: Sourabh 0-0 Ginting
10:15 AM IST - Topsy-turvy first game for Satwik-Ponnappa
Satwik-Ponnappa looked firmly in the driver's seat during the early exchanges, racing to a 17-13 lead, but the Danes flipped the script to go ahead 20-17. With their backs against the wall, the Indian duo showed strong character to save four game points, before wrapping up the first game 23-21.
Some incredible badminton on show!
Score: Satwik/Ponnappa 23-21 Nohr/Magelund
9:55 AM IST - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa up against Danish challenge in mixed doubles
India's mixed doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa have taken Court 2 for their mixed doubles clash against Denmark's Niclas Nohr and Niclas Nohr and Amalie Magelund.
The two made it past the first round at the Yonex Thailand Open last week and will look to make it past the first hurdle without much trouble this time too.
Score: Satwik/Ponnappa 0-0 Nohr/Magelund
I'm pleased with this win. I have been unable to practice for four days as I had a calf strain and that was the reason I withdrew from last week's tournament. I have been resting and icing the calf, plus I got some practice in yesterday, I'm happy with the win and I'm looking forward to the next round. - Kidambi Srikanth
9:45 AM IST - Srikanth makes quick work of Thammasin
Kidambi Srikanth continues Indian badminton's winning momentum at the Toyota Thailand Open. The Indian cruised through to the second round with very few problems as he beat his Thai opponent in straight games.
Srikanth, who showed impeccable shuttle control and court presence, dominated from start to end and gave Thammasin no say in the contest. The match lasted just 38 minutes.
Srikanth 21-11, 21-11 Thammasin
9:26 AM IST - Srikanth in driver's seat
Kidambi Srikanth has made a good start against Sitthikom Thammasin. The Indian has mixed it up well in the game so far, cleverly interchanging between his drop shots and cross court smashes to win the first game comfortably.
Srikanth 21-11 Thammasin
It was a good game and I'm very, very happy. This win was very important for me in this tournament because at last week's tournament, I went out in the first round. So this win today was important, because even though in the first game it was tight, I didn't want to make it easy. - PV Sindhu after the match.
9:12 AM IST - PV Sindhu through to the second round of the Toyota Thailand Open
Relentless from PV Sindhu! The Indian has pressed home her advantage to take the second game 21-13 and with it, the match. Sindhu only seemed to get better as the contest progressed and clearly dominated her Thai opponent.
The win should be an immense relief for the Rio 2016 silver medal winner, who took the lead against Mia Blichfeldt in the first round match last last week but let it slip to crash out.
Score: Sindhu 21-17, 21-13 Ongbamrungphan
9:02 AM IST - Kidambi Srikanth in men's singles action
Over at Court 1, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth is all set to start his first round match against Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin. This will be the third time the two players face off at the top level, with Srikanth having won both the previous meetings.
Srikanth 0-0 Thammasin
9:00 AM IST - Sindhu breaking away
The Indian has continued her momentum in the second game. PV Sindhu continued to play some aggressive badminton, keeping Ongbamrungphan on the backfoot, and takes a six-point lead in the second game.
Sindhu enjoys a 10-1 head-to-head record against the Thai player and looks good to make it 11-1.
Score: Sindhu 21-17, 11-5 Ongbamrungphan
8:50 AM IST - PV Sindhu comes from behind to win first game
India's PV Sindhu turns the table on her Thai opponent to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Ongbamrungphan has continued her rhythm but the Indian seems to have turned it up a notch. Some classy returns and well-placed shots sees PV Sindhu seize the advantage.
Score: Sindhu 21-17 Ongbamrungphan
8:38 AM IST - Ongbamrungphan leads against Sindhu
Sindhu and Ongbamrungphan have been neck-and-neck so far, with the Thai player breaking away right at the end to take a 11-9 lead into the first mid-game break of the match.
The Indian had her moments in the contest so far with some big smashes but Ongbamrungphan has countered well with some intelligent stroke selection.
Score: Sindhu 9-11 Ongbamrungphan
8:20 AM IST – PV Sindhu vs Busanan Ongbamrungphan kickstarts India's itinerary
Reigning women’s world champion and Rio 2016 silver medallist PV Sindhu squares up against Thai shuttler Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the first match involving Indian shuttlers on the day.
Busanan Ongbamrungphan, who ended Saina Nehwal’s run at the Yonex Thailand Open en route to the quarter-finals, is ranked 12th in the women’s singles BWF world rankings – five places behind PV Sindhu. Both players are on the IMPACT Arena 2 court for their match.
Score: Sindhu 0-0 Ongbamrungphan
7:30 AM IST - Indian shuttlers look to impress at Toyota Thailand Open
The opening day of the Toyota Thailand Open in Bangkok on Tuesday will feature as many as 11 Indian badminton players, including women's aces PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal.
Reigning women's world champion PV Sindhu had a disappointing outing at the Yonex Thailand Open last week and exited the BWF Super 1000 tournament in the first round.
The Indian ace will look to get past her opening hurdle this time, as she goes up against Thai opponent Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
PV Sindhu will need to be wary of the 24-year-old Ongbamrungphan, who knocked out Saina Nehwal in the second round of the Yonex Thailand Open.
Saina Nehwal, too, will be up against a Thai opponent. The London 2012 bronze medallist will battle it out against world No. 5 Ratchanok Intanon.
Men's singles players Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap, meanwhile, face Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin and Denmark's Rasmus Gemke respectively.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will go up against fellow Indians Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy in an all-Indian men’s first round tie.
Satwik will be the only Indian playing twice on the day. He will first pair up with Ashwini Ponnappa for their mixed doubles match against Danish pair Niclas Nohr and Amalie Magelund.