India’s challenge in the men’s and women’s singles ended on Thursday, with Ayush Shetty and PV Sindhu losing their pre-quarterfinal matches at the here.
However, in doubles, India’s top men’s pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarter-finals after a hard-fought win over Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King 21-23, 21-19, 21-17. The Indian pair survived a three-game thriller after dropping the opening game. The women’s doubles pair of Teresa Jolly and also progressed after beating Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12.
Chirag Shetty (left) and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy celebrate a point on Thursday
Earlier, Ayush, who had stunned World No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China in the previous round, could not overcome World No. 11 Alwi Farhan of Indonesia, losing 19-21, 11-21 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Ayush, 21, stayed in contention in the opening game, drawing level at 19-19, but Alwi won the next two points. Ayush was unable to use his smashes and court coverage as effectively as he had in previous matches.
Gayatri Gopichand (left) and Treesa Jolly after their win on Thursday
“I had my chances in the first game, but they weren’t converted. In the second game, he was playing with more confidence and put a lot of pressure from the net. I think that made the difference. He [Alwi] didn’t give me much of a chance. When I had my opportunities, I wasn’t really good at hitting the lines. He was the better man,” Ayush said.
s women’s singles hope, Sindhu, also bowed out after losing 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 to Wang Zhi Yi of China in a closely fought contest.
Wang was particularly effective at the net and made it difficult for Sindhu to use her backhand precisely. Sindhu fought back in the second game, winning a 41-shot rally en route. Medical breaks taken by Wang also disrupted Sindhu’s rhythm before the Chinese player returned to win a 54-shot rally in the tight decider. “It was going well in all the games, but I feel I should’ve been more patient. I should have been a bit more in the game, especially towards the end. I think the last three points just changed the game,” Sindhu said.
However, the mixed doubles pair and Tanisha Crasto, seeded 15th, lost 21-16, 21-5 to sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui of China.