Thailand Open: Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth Knocked Out In Second Round

Saina Nehwal was knocked out in the second round of the Thailand Open 2019 on Thursday as she lost to 17-year-old Sayaka Takahashi. Saina won the first game 21-16 but the teenager came back strongly to take the second game 21-11. In the second game, at one stage Saina was trailing 16-2 and Takahashi took the match to the third game. In the third game, Saina took an early lead but after the mid-break, Takahashi overturned the deficit and managed to upset the seventh seeded Indian shuttler. In men's singles, Kidambi Srikanth crashed out after losing to Khosit Phetpradab 21-11, 16-21, 12-21 in the second round of the tournament but Sai Praneeth sailed into the quarterfinals.

In the other match, Parupalli Kashyap was also knocked out in the second round. Kashyap lost the match in straight games 9-21, 14-21. 

Takahashi's win ended India's contention in the Thailand Open in the women's single category. 

But Sai Praneeth, who reached the semifinals of Japan Open last week, continued his good form and stormed into the last-eight round with a comfortable 21-18 21-19 win over compatriot Shubhankar Dey.

Sai Praneeth will be up against seventh seed Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan in the next round.

However, it was good news for India in the men's doubles event as the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the quarterfinals after registering a straight-game 21-17 21-19 win over Indonesian combination of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

The India duo will next play qualifiers Choi Solgyu and Seo Seung Jae of Korea on Friday.

In mixed doubles too, the Indians had a forgettable outing on Thursday as the pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy lost 16-21 11-21 against eight seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong to bow out of the tournament. 

India's PV Sindhu had pulled out of the tournament along with other ace shuttlers across the world.

(With PTI inputs)