Tokyo: Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth's bad run in 2019 continued as he bowed out of the Japan Open after suffering a stunning defeat to compatriot HS Prannoy in the opening round of the $750,000 tournament on Wednesday. Meanwhile, PV Sindhu kicked off her Japan Open campaign on an emphatic note as she registered a comprehensive victory over China’s Yue Han in her first-round clash of the $750,000 tournament.
The Olympic silver medallist needed just 37 minutes to defeat Han 21-9, 21-17 in her opening match on Wednesday. Fifth-seeded Sindhu will now face Japan’s Aya Ohori – whom she had recently defeated in the Indonesia Open – in the second round.
Prannoy defeated Srikanth 13-21, 21-11, 22-20 in a match that lasted for an hour.
Before Wednesday’s match, the duo had faced each other five times in the past, with Srikanth emerging victorious on four occasions.
In the Indonesia Open as well, Srikanth was not able to go far as he suffered a 17-21, 19-21 loss to NG Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in a 39-minute second-round contest. In the mixed doubles event, the Indian pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Reddy N. Sikki also crashed out of the tournament after losing their opening match 11-21, 14-21 to Chinese pair of Zhend Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiaong in less than 30 minutes. (IANS)