File image of PV Sindhu© AFP
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu on Thursday stormed into the quarterfinals of the women’s singles event at the Badminton Asia Championships with a straight-game win over China’s Han Yu in Dubai. Apart from Sindhu, India’s top men’s singles shuttler HS Prannoy made it to the quarter-finals but it ended for compatriot Kidambi Srikanth. Eighth seed Prannoy battled for an hour and two minutes to beat Indonesian Chiko Aura Dwi Wardoyo 16-21 21-5 18-21 in his round of 16 match, while Srikanth was ousted by the fourth seeded Japanese. . Kodai Naroka 14-21 22-20 9-21.
Prannoy will now play Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan. Sindhu was at her lethal best as she took just 33 minutes to beat Yu 21-12 21-15 in the Round of 16 match.
Eighth seed Sindhu will now take on second seed An Se Young of Korea. In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and N Sikki Reddy advanced to the quarterfinals, after fourth seeded Korean pair Seo Seung Jae Chae Yoo Jung gave the Indians a walkover.
The Indian pair will next take on Indonesian pair of Dejan Ferdinsyah Gloria Emanuel Widjaja.
However, it was an end to B Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa in the mixed doubles as they went down 15-21 17-21.
The sixth seeded Indian pair of Sankireddy and Chirag Shetty also entered the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles event after beating Jin Yong and Na Sung Seung 21-13, 21-11.
The Indian pair will face third seeded Indonesian pair Mohd Ehsan and Hendra Setiawan.
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