2019 China Open: Shuttlers Sindhu & Praneeth keep India's hopes alive

Ace shuttler P V Sindhu reasserted her supremacy with a convincing win over former Olympic gold medallist Li Xuerui to progress to the pre-quarterfinals of the China Open Super 1000 tournament. Xuerui spent the entire 34 minutes of gameplay, trying to find an answer to the fluent strokeplay of India’s top shuttler Sindhu, before bowing out by an 18-21, 12-21 scoreline. Sindhu replicated her supreme World Championship form and there was no way out for Xuerui but surrender without a whimper by an upsetting verdict. Currently ranked 20, Xuerui was defeated by Sindhu at the Indonesia Masters earlier this year.

Compatriot Saina Nehwal began on a competitive note only to be pulverised by Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan with a 10-21, 17-21 deficit. World No. 19 Busanan outlasted the Saina, in a 44-minute battle of attrition at the Olympic Sports Center Xincheng Gymnasium. Had she won in the opening round, Saina would have locked horns with former World No 1 and arch-rival Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals.

B Sai Praneeth subdued the effervescent Suppanyu Avihingsanon of Thailand by a scintillating 21-19, 21-23, 21-14 win in the men’s singles. Women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponappa and N Sikki Reddy pulled off a clinical win against Lee Chih Chen and Cheng Chi Ya by a dominating 21-13, 11-8 scoreline. In men's singles event, Parupalli Kashyap registered a thumping win over Brice Leverdez of France 21-12, 21-15.

In other matches of the day, the mixed doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra lost to a gritty German pair of Mark Lamsfuss and Isabel Hertrich by a 12-21, 21-23 scoreline; the men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy saw the same fate as they ended up conceding two sets to a rampaging Indonesian side 15-21, 15-21.