Round 2 report: Fatigue caught up with India’s premier shuttler PV Sindhu as she was upstaged in straight games but Kidambi Srikanth entered quarter-finals of the $700,000 Japan Open here Thursday. Sindhu was beaten by China’s Gao Fangjie in the women’s singles second round, her first preliminary exit in almost a year. The Indian went down fighting 18-21 19-21 in 55 minutes to the world no 14 Chinese. She had lost in the opening round at the Denmark Open last October. Former world no.1 Srikanth, however, didn’t break a sweat as he avenged his Asian Games loss to Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent with a clinical 21-15 21-14 victory to enter the men’s singles quarterfinals. [caption id=“attachment_5180581” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Kidambi Srikanth earlier beat Wong Wing Ki Vincent to enter the quarter-final stage. AFP[/caption] The seventh-seeded Indian, who won a silver at the Commonwealth Games, will face Korea’s Lee Dong Keun next. However, it was curtains for the other Indian in the men’s draw, HS Prannoy, as he went down to giant-killer Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. The world no.10 Indonesian defeated formidable Japanese Kento Momota and Olympic champion Chen Long at the Asian Games. Sindhu, who has endured a hectic BWF season reaching five finals including three majors at CWG, World Championship and Asian Games, seemed mentally drained as errors crept into her game. The Indian put up a decent fight as she recovered from 2-8 down in the opening game but squandered a 17-14 lead. She was also 15-20 down in the second game but managed to save four match points before once again hitting the net to hand over the match to Gao. In doubles, the men’s pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy lost 18-21 21-16 12-21 to China’s He Jiting and Tan Qiang, while the mixed combination of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy lost 16-21 16-21 to the Malaysian pair of Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying in another match. With inputs from PTI
Highlights, Japan Open 2018, men's singles quarter-final: Kidambi Srikanth loses to Lee Dong Keun
Follow live updates on Kidambi Srikanth’s quarter-final clash against South Korea’s Lee Dong Keun in the ongoing Japan Open here.
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Kidambi Srikanth loses to Lee Dong Keun
We have an upset! Seventh seed Kidambi Srikanth bows out of the Japan Open in the quarter-finals! World No 33 Dong Keun Lee beats Srikanth 19-21, 21-16, 21-18! With Srikanth’s loss, India’s campaign comes to an end at the Japan Open.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
19-18 to Dong Keun! Srikanth is on the brink of being ousted in the quarter-finals!
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Srikanth is in trouble. He was leading but Dong Keun does well to retake the lead at 17-15.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Srikanth takes the lead for the first time in the third game but it is short-lived as Dong Keun makes it 13-13 with a point off Srikanth’s serve. The two then exchange points to take the score to 15-15.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
No, he can’t. Dong Keun goes into the mid-game break with a two-point cushion over Srikanth.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
9-6 to Dong Keun. But Srikanth wins three points to level the scores at 9-9. Can he continue the streak and take the lead at the mid-game break?
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
After 10 points, Dong Keun takes a 6-4 lead. Srikanth wins a point but Dong Keun restores his two-point lead. The South Korean has momentum on his side.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Cautious start to the third game as well. 3-3 after six points.
Lee Dong Keun wins second game against Kidambi Srikanth
Dong Keun wins the second game to force a third and deciding game in this quarter-final clash. Srikanth trailed right from the start and as the game went on, Dong Keun extended and consolidated his lead before closing out the game 21-16.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Srikanth has been forced to play catch-up in the second game but Dong Keun has made sure to not let his lead slip to 3 points or less. The South Korean leads 18-15.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Dong Keun leads 14-10. Srikanth is trying to mount a fightback and it is to be seen if the South Korean can fend off the India shuttler’s attempts.
Lee Dong Keun leads Kidambi Srikanth in second game
Dong Keun takes the lead at the mid-game break. Srikanth looks to be in trouble here. The South Korean threatened in the first game but couldn’t force the issue then. However, he has been better in the second game and leads 11-5.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Dong Keun on the ascendancy here. He is taking the fight to Srikanth and wins four points on the trot to take a 9-5 lead in the second game.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
A similar start to the second game here. Both players exchanged one point one after the other. However, Dong Keun pulls away at 2-2 to take a 4-2 lead.
Kidambi Srikanth wins the first game against Lee Dong Keun
19-19 now! Dong Keun will serve and hope to take the lead for the first time in the match. If he does indeed, he will move within a point of taking the first game from Srikanth. However, he can’t and Srikanth wins both the points to win the first game 21-19. Close game that and Lee Dong Keun will take a lot of positives from it.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
The first game is going down the wire. Srikanth has led throughout the game but Dong Keun has made sure that the lead does not become insurmountable. Srikanth still leads. 19-18 to the Indian.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
14-11 to Srikanth now. Despite Dong Keun’s best efforts, he hasn’t been able to take the lead over his higher-ranked opponent.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Dong Keun is giving Srikanth a tough fight. After being 4-7 down, the South Korean saw Srikanth take a 9-5 lead before battling back and levelling the scores at 10-10. Srikanth though wins the next point to take the lead at the mid-game break.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Dong Keun
Slow start from Srikanth. The pair exchange points till the eighth point at 4-4 before Srikanth bags three points on the trot to go 7-4 up.