China Open: Sai Praneeth defeats Suppanyu Avihingsanon, to advance to second round

Changzhou: Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth defeated Thailand's Suppanyu Avihingsanon 2-1 in a first-round match of the China Open here on Wednesday.

In the tough encounter that lasted 72-minutes, Praneeth claimed the first game 21-19 in a neck-and-neck fight.

Suppanyu made a comeback in the second game and secured it 23-21.

In the decider, Praneeth won the match 21-14. With this win, he proceeded to the second round of the tournament.

Earlier in the day, Saina Nehwal crashed out of the tournament after facing a 21-10, 21-17 defeat at the hands of Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in a first-round match.