Top Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth made positive starts to their campaign at the Asia Badminton Championship in Wuhan, China today.
While Saina and Sindhu registered straight game victories over their rivals to enter the second round, Srikanth had to fight it out in his men’s singles opener.
Saina, who had clinched a gold medal at Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia continued her good run as she brushed aside Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min 21-12, 21-9. Sindhu, who had lost to Saina in the CWG final to settle for the silver, defeated Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po 21-14, 21-19 in women’s singles competition.
Former world number one Saina will meet China’s Gao Fangjie, while Olympic and world championship silver medallist Sindhu, seeded third, faces another Chinese Chen Xiaoxin next. Top seed and CWG silver medallist Srikanth eked out a come-from-behind 13-21, 21-16, 21-16 win over Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in men’s singles to set up a clash with Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent.
The men’s doubles pair of Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok and women’s combo of Meghana Jakkampudi and Poorvisha S Ram too joined the singles stars in the second round after pulling off thrilling wins in the opening round.