Japan Open 2023: Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy enter pre-quarters, Aakarshi Kashyap knocked out

Tokyo: Indian shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy entered the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s singles competition in the BWF Japan Open but it was curtains for Aakarshi Kashyap, who ran into Akane Yamaguchi in her very first outing, on Tuesday. The Indians had a mixed outing, as in the men’s singles, Srikanth brushed aside Chou Tien-Chen of Taiwan 21-13, 21-13 to comfortably make the pre-quarters, and Prannoy too easily defeated Li Shifeng of China 21-17, 21-13 to enter the Round of 16. Both are set to face each other in the next round. In the women’s singles, Aakarshi failed to get past the formidable Yamaguchi of Japan, losing 17-21, 17-21. In women’s doubles, the pair of Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand engaged in a battle against the Japanese duo of Sayaka Hobara and Suizu. Despite losing the opening game, the Indians prevailed 11-21, 21-15, 21-14 to enter the pre-quarters. In the mixed doubles category, the Promoted from Reserves (PFR) Indian pair of Rohan Kapoor and Nelakurihi Sikki Reddy failed to make the most of their opportunity, as despite winning the opening game, they were taken out by the Taiwanese duo of Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-Hsin 21-18, 9-21, 18-21. Remaining opening round Indian fixtures: Men’s singles: Mithun Manjunath vs Weng Hongyang, Priyanshu Rajawat vs Lakshya Sen Women’s singles: PV Sindhu vs Zhang Yiman, Malvika Bansod vs Aya Ohori Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty vs Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin, MR Arjun-Dhruv Kapila vs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.