Hong Kong Super Series: Saina Nehwal Through To Round 2; Parupalli Kashyap, Sourabh Verma Bow Out
Saina staved off a spirited challenge from World No 44 Mette Poulsen of Denmark 21-19 23-21.
Highlights
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Saina enters second round; Kashyap, Sourabh lose in Hong Kong
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She beat Mette Poulsen of Denmark 21-19 23-21
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She faces eighth seeded Chinese Chen Yufei in next round
India's star shuttler Saina Nehwal laboured to a win and progressed to the second round of the USD 400,000 Hong Kong Super Series. However, Parupalli Kashyap and Sourabh Verma failed to cross the opening hurdle bowing out of the tournament. London Olympics bronze medallist Saina staved off a spirited challenge from World No.44 Mette Poulsen of Denmark beating the Dane 21-19, 23-21 in a match lasting 46 minutes to advance to the next round.
World No.11 Saina, who won the bronze at the World Championship 2017, will next face a tougher opponent in the form of eighth seeded Chinese Chen Yufei, who had clinched the other bronze at the Glasgow tournament in August.
In men's singles competition, 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap squandered an opening game advantage to go down narrowly 21-15, 9-21, 20-22 to Korean Lee Dong Keun in a match that lasted an hour and nine minutes.
Sourabh, meanwhile, failed to put up a fight against Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto and was totally outclassed 15-21, 8-21 to bow out of the competition.
(With PTI Inputs)