Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa Lose in World Badminton Quarters; All Hopes on Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu
Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa lost their doubles quarterfinal to a Japanese team. India's Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu will play their respective quarterfinal matches in the World Badminton Championship on Friday.
Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu will play their quarterfinal matches in the World Badminton Championships on Friday after the men's challenge ended with defeats for Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy in Jakarta on Thursday night.
India's other medal prospects, doubles specialists Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa also crashed out after losing 25-23, 21-14 to Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao of Japan in their last-eight clash Friday morning. Therefore, India's hopes now rest on Saina and Sindhu. (Saina Says Indian Women Not Encouraged to Indulge in Sports)
World number two and second seeded Saina displayed superb skills to ease past 14th seed Sayaka Takahashi 21-18, 21-14 to set up a quarterfinal clash against Wang Yihan (sixth seed) of China.
Meanwhile, 11th seeded Sindhu will take on eighth-seeded Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea. The 20-year-old from Hyderabad, a double World Championship bronze medallist defied all odds to beat the third-seeded and Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China 21-17, 14-21, 21-17 in 50 minutes to enter the last eight.