Japan Open: Solid starts by PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal

New Delhi: Korea Open champion P.V. Sindhu edged past Japan’s Minatsu Mitani for the second time in as many weeks to reach the second round of the Japan Open Super Series women’s singles in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth also made positive starts, notching up contrasting wins in their matches.

Rio Olympics silver medallist Sindhu continued her good run, recovering from a game down to win 12-21, 21-15, 21-17.

The 22-year-old had beaten Mitani in three games at the Korea Open quarter-finals. The world no. 4 will next face world champion Nozomi Okuhara, for the third time in as many tournaments.

Sindhu was beaten in an hour and 50 minutes at the Glasgow World Championship final last month, before winning in a 83-minute contest in Seoul last Sunday.

Saina, who bagged a bronze medal at Glasgow, skipped the Korea Open with a thigh strain. She took 39 minutes to dispatch Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-17, 21-9. She will face reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin in the next round.

Srikanth overcame world no. 10 China’s Tian Houwei 21-15, 12-21, 21-11. The eighth seed  will face Hong Kong’s Hu Yun next.

H.S. Prannoy and Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold winner Sameer Verma also advanced. Prannoy got the better of Denmark’s Anders Antonsen 21-12, 21-14, Sameer took 40 minutes to subdue Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab 21-12, 21-19.

Sameer’s elder brother, Sourabh, bowed out, losing to seventh seed and two-time Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan of China 21-11, 15-21, 13-21.

Singapore Open champion B. Sai Praneeth lost to Lee Dong Keun of South Korea 23-21, 17-21, 14-21.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa beat Thailand’s Tinn Isriyanet and Pacharapun Chochuwong 21-17, 21-13.

In men’s doubles, Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy lost 18-21, 15-21 to eighth seeds Lee Jhe-Huei and Lee Yang of Chinese Taipei, while third seeded Korean Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee ended Ashwini and N. Sikki Reddy’s run 21-17, 21-12 in the women’s doubles.