Highlights, World Badminton Championships 2017, Results, Day 2: Sindhu, Praneeth and Jayaram win; Lee Chong Wei bows out

Shlok and Arjun lose a hard fought thriller 14-21, 21-19, 14-21 to end their #2017BWC campaign. Tough luck!

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

This ain't over!

Shlok and Arjun take the second game 21-19. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Victory for Viktor! 

Axelsen comes back from a game down to beat Takuma Ueda of Japan 17-21, 21-8, 21-13 in 61 minutes and seals his place into the next round of the men’s singles event. 

19-12! The Dane has done it. Three consecutive forehand drives to extend his lead. Ueda made a lot of net errors in this game.

Min Liao and Cheng Sung win the first game 21-14 against Shlok and Arjun #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

16-10! A ten-point lead in the decider can end up both ways. Let’s see how the Dane takes it from here.

11-8! Axelsen has taken the lead at the mid-game interval for the 3rd time in this match. Will he win it?https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

9-13! Ueda plays a cheeky drop shot to unsettle the Danish shuttler. The third and final game looks interesting.

9-5! Ueda is pushing hard from the mid-court with a couple of drop shots. Axlesen hits wide this time to gift the Japanese another point. It’s 9-6 now

Arjun MR and Shlok Ramchandran are the last Indians in action. Trailing 9-11 at the break. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

4-2! Is this classic Axelsen? He dominated the last two games after a bad opener at the Indian Superseries too. Eventually, he won the title in Delhi but can he maintain the same composure and domination at the World Championships?

Alright, it’s 6-2!

What a game this was. Now onto the next one! 

Axelsen dominates the second game 21-6 to send the match into a decider. Ueda looks tired already https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

19-5! This is what the fans were expecting from Axelsen and boy he has delivered it handsomely in the second game. Ueda should already think about the decider now.

14-4! Looks like Ueda has lost his belief in the second game. Axelsen is just covering the court swiftly. Also, the drift inside the arena is helping the Danish while hitting crosscourt drives.

11-4! Axelsen leads at the mid-game interval again. But will Ueda upset the Danish shuttler? https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

3-2! Ueda has put the Dane under pressure in the second game as well. The only way out for Axelsen is to keep his opponent moving towards the backcourt and take advantage of the open space at the forecourt.

Takuma Ueda wins opening game: 21-17
​
The Japanese ace made a fine comeback from 11-15 to snatch the opening game 21-17 from Axelsen in no time. The Danish was taken by surprise with Ueda’s attacking strokes from the forecourt.

15-11! Axelsen maintains his lead with his aggressive approach in the opening game. Ueda is making a lot of errors at the backcourt.

16-15! What a turnaround by the Japanese shuttler. He wins six points on the trot under pressure to shift the momentum.

Axelsen has a three-point advantage at the break of the opening game against Ueda. He leads 11-8 https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

6-6! Both the shuttlers are looking comfortable at the net so far. The Danish ace is much quicker.

Meghana J and Poorvisha Ram end their World Championships campaign after losing 21-13, 16-21, 8-21 to Selene and Eefje of the Netherlands in the first round of the women’s doubles.

14-4! To overcome a ten-point lead would be something else. But, let’s see what the Indians have in store for us. They still trail

The match is getting away from Meghana and Poorvisha. They trail 2-11 at the break against Piek and Muskens. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

7-0! Selena and Eefje are unstoppable as they open up a seven-point lead in the third and final game. A comeback from here would be extraordinary for the Indian pair.

5-0! The Dutch pair is showing great attacking play in the decider. Quick reflexes and defence from the forecourt are creating a lot of problems for Meghana and Poorvisha.

Selena and Eefje win the second game 21-16 to force the match into the deciding game https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

9-16! Things have changed in this match. Selena and Eefje are likely to take the second game. Meghna and Poorvisha should be prepared for a tiring decider.

6-11! The Indians seem to have struggled in the second game as Selena and Eejfe have a healthy lead at the halfway mark of the second game.

Piek and Muskens make a comeback in the second game to lead 12-6 against Meghana and Poorvisha. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

3-2! They lead in the second game too. But with a slender one-point lead. Oh, make it 4-2.

Meghna and Poorvisha take the first game 21-13 quite convincingly against the Dutch pair in just 17 minutes. That’s actually very quick. 

Time for the second game.

Meghana and Poorvisha are winning crucial rallies. Extend the lead to make it 16-9 against Piek and Muskens. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

15-9! Meghna and Poorvisha are attacking brilliantly from the forecourt as well as the backcourt, leaving no chance for the Dutch pair to find a way for a winner.

The Indian pair leads 11-4 at the break of the opening game against Selena and Eefje. Good start! https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

8-2! They now win three consecutive points to maintain the pressure on Selena and Eefje as we approach the mid-game interval

5-2! The Indian duo has taken a three-point lead in the opening game against the Dutch pair. A win here would be a confidence-booster for Meghna and Poorvisha

Meghana Jakkampudi and Poorvisha Ram are in action against Selena Piek and Eefje Muskens in the women’s doubles

Ratchanok Intanon beats Rui Chen: 21-12, 21-7

As expected, the former champion played a very attacking game since the start of the match and more importantly, she covered the court to make clean returns. Rui was beaten at the net regularly. 

Intanon wins the first game with ease 21-12 and leads 8-3 in the second. The Thai ace is one of the favourites to win the women’s singles title at the World Championships.

In the women’s singles clash, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon leads 11-7 at the halfway mark of the first game against Malaysia’s Rui Chen.

Shout out to the baddies who have crossed their respective hurdles and advanced further in #2017BWC so far in the day. 👏 pic.twitter.com/bqQrv5JbRr

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) August 22, 2017

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy emerge victorious in their 1st World Championship match together.

Good show from the duo. #2017BWC pic.twitter.com/zmn1AEZltu

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy beat Amelia and Cheong: 21-15, 21-13

The Indian duo played a sensible game right from the start and avoided mistakes in crucial rallies to take both the games quite convincingly. 

Image credit: Badminton Photo

5-3! Ponnapp a and Sikki have stopped Amelia and Cheong take advantage in the second game as well. The duo is looking strong, mixing their shots from the mid-court.

#2017BWC 🎥 Reaction | Indian superstar @Pvsindhu1 gets off to a winning start at the worlds and here she talks about the experience pic.twitter.com/FhbJELwR93

— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) August 22, 2017

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy clinch first game: 21-15

A quite convincing opening game win against Amelia and Cheong, who were rather focusing on catching the Indian duo with deceptive strokes every now and then.

19-15! The Indian duo has calmly dominated the service-receive game against Anna Cheong and Ririn Amelia.

15-11! Ponnappa and Sikki look comfortable while playing rallies. The former is communicating well from the backcourt.

Ponnappa and Reddy have the edge at the break of the first game. Leading 11-7 against the Indo-Malaysian pair. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Young Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty bow out of the World Championships after losing 21-8, 21-12 to Endo and Watanabe of Japan.

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy will be up against Indonesia's Anna Cheong and Ririn Amelia on Court 4. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

16-10! Endo and Watanabe of Japan look set to clinch the second game as well. Satwik and Chirag needed to do better here.

Endo and Watanabe continue their domination in the second game; lead 11-5 at the mid-game intervalhttps://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

The Indian duo trails 11-4 in the opening game

Young doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj are up next in action against Japan's H Endo and Y Watanabe. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

The Indian duo trails 11-4 in the opening game

Young doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj are up next in action against Japan's H Endo and Y Watanabe. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

All four 🇮🇳 men have qualified to the next round@ajay_289 ✅@srikidambi ✅@saiprneeth92 ✅@sameerv2210 ✅https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC pic.twitter.com/5zhQ37u1Bw

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

“I don’t know what my plan is from here… maybe I retire tomorrow. My brain is zero (blank) right now,” said Lee Chong Wei to media after losing to Brice Leverdez of France. 

Ajay Jayaram wins 21-14, 21-12 against Luka Wrabber. All four Indian men have advanced to next round. 

19-10! Jayaram is just two points away from entering the next round

15-8! This man is not going to stop, is he? Jayaram inches closer to register a first round win in the men’s singles event.

11-5! The Indian shuttler enjoys a six-point lead in the second game. He looks very comfortable at the net https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

8-4! This game is too quick to report, honestly. Jayaram and Wraber are no-nonsense players, who bank on their attack from the mid-court area. Also, there should be a bit of balance between the attacking and defensive strokes from that position. Make that 10-4. Told you, they are quick!

4-2! Jayaram, who had a superb PBL earlier in January, has shown glimpses of his grip on the baseline. The foot movements is one another area where he has been impressive.

Ajay Jayaram wins opening game: 21-14

Easy-peasy game out there for fit-again Jayaram as he thwarts Wraber in just 14 minutes. Great improvement by the Indian shuttler in terms of his reflexes and drop shots which more or less made the difference.

19-12! Jayaram is enjoying his time at the court after a lengthy gap. He needs to show his worth to the world

Sindhu spoke to the media after her crushing win. “It was a match with long rallies and she was tiring towards the end of the match”, said Sindhu.

When asked if long rallies suited her and get more match practice, she smiled and said, “I did not think that away. I wanted to finish off as sometimes things can become tough.” 

“I was playing her (Kim) after a long time, about a year (in Australia) and wanted to finish the match fast,” added Sindhu 

15-6 in just 7 minutes! Things are looking quite comfortable for Ajay Jayaram in the opening gamehttps://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

Within 3 minutes, Ajay Jayaram takes a massive 10-1 lead in the opening game against Luka Wraber in the men’s singles event.

PV Sindhu beats Kim Hyo Min: 21-16, 21-14

A clinical overall performance by the India Superseries champion allows her to finish the match quite comfortably. The noteworthy takeaway from the match was Sindhu’s ability to take control of her strokes from the backcourt. Earlier, she used to hesitate to hit a few from the back but now it’s an easy job for her. 

Sindhu has got Kim just exhausted and should close anytime now.

19-12! Sindhu’s brilliant court coverage and a barrage of deceptive shots are making the difference against Kim

Just get the feeling, @Pvsindhu1 is allowing long rallies to get herself into the Championship mood and get used to courts

— V Krishnaswamy (@Swinging_Swamy) August 22, 2017

Sindhu has got the hang of things! Swirling shuttles, winning rallies & hitting powerful smashes at will. There's no stopping her! #2017BWC

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) August 22, 2017

15-9! Sindhu is managing to win the rallies quite effortlessly. If this is Kim’s strategy, then she should look elsewhere because the Indian’s height helps her to smack the shuttle with even more power from the backcourt.

Sindhu is engaging her rival into a long rally, picking anything from everywhere and allowing Kim to make the mistakes.  The pink outfit seems to be clashing with the colour on the fringes of the court.. not great for TV viewing

The Indian shuttler leads 11-8 at the break of 2nd game against Korea's Kim. Sindhu looks in great touch https://t.co/gJDbmX0cQb #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

Sindhu breaking away. mixing her shots well, and using her reach well – Sindhu, the 4th seed, looks comfortable at 10-5 in the second game

9-5! Told you. Just when you think Kim will position herself at the forehand and take advantage, Sindhu covers the area and returns it with perfection.

6-3! There is no way Kim can overtake Sindhu in this match. Well, the 22-year-old shuttler surges ahead with a three-point lead.

3-2! The second game gets underway and the silver medallist is on the front foot as of now.

Sindhu has a 3-1 record against Kim, but in their last clash in 2016 in Australia Kim won in straight games

Sindhu dominated right through the first, though Kim did show a fight in latter stages. From 10-17, she did manage to get to 16-21. 24 minutes in first game

PV Sindhu wins opening game: 21-16

The Indian ace looks in complete control of the situation against a nervous Kim, who also committed a few errors from the baseline.

19-13! Things have gone in Sindhu’s favour so far in this contest as she is just two points shy of clinching the opening game. However, she needs to be more accurate while hitting backhand drives.

17-10! A great crosscourt smash down Kim’s left tramline extends Sindhu’s lead. She looks in brilliant touch in her first game of the women’s singles event.

15-8! Sindhu continues to maintain her healthy lead in the 1st game. Kim is struggling to lift the shuttlehttps://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

12-8! Sindhu still holds a healthy lead as the Korean shuttler slowly manages to close the gap. Notably, Kim’s wrist shots from the mid-court has helped her stretch the Indian.

A dominant start by PV Sindhu as she leads 11-5 at the mid-game interval against Kimhttps://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

9-3! The Indian ace has covered the court swiftly so far. With such a strong backhand, Sindhu can wrap this game in a jiffy.

Well, make that EIGHT! 

Sindhu wins 5 points on a trot to kick-start the proceedings. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

PV Sindhu vs Kim Hyo Min:

The 4th seed faces Korea’s Kim in her first match of the World Championships. The silver medallist makes a strong start and takes a 4-0 lead in the opening game.

Brice Leverdez stuns Lee Chong Wei: 21-19, 22-24, 21-17 

And it was the Frenchman who came out victorious at the end of a three-game thriller against the Malaysian ace Lee Chong Wei. Leverdez was confident at the net and played a variety of attacking strokes, coupled with a few crosscourt smashes to unsettle Lee. This is the first shocker of the Glasgow event. Do we have more? 

Major upset - Lee Chong Wei loses to Leverdez in 3 games. First win after 4 losses for Frenchman @2017BWC @FirstpostSports pic.twitter.com/RAdkvXo4sl

— V Krishnaswamy (@Swinging_Swamy) August 22, 2017

17-17! This has to be the match of the tournament so far. It’s very difficult to separate the two.

And Leverdez makes a comeback! 

15-15 in the third and final game between the two. Who will win this?

It’s 15-12 to Lee in the third and final game. 

Lee looks likely to win the deciding game. He is mixing up the rallies to put the once-dominating Leverdez under pressure.#2017BWC

— Shivam Damohe (@mancpunk) August 22, 2017

14-9! Lee is absolutely dominating the deciding game. A series of drop shots have put the once-dominating Leverdez under pressure.

Lee Chong Wei leads 11-7 at the mid-game break of the deciding game. Will he dominate from here?

LIVE: https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

9-7! Lee Chong Wei shows composure and dominance at the net to take a two-point advantage in the decider.

Update:

Lee Chong Wei should pull away from here in the third game. He now leads 5-3 in the deciding game.

The Malaysian wins second game: 24-22

Lee Chong Wei comes back from brink. Down match point, he wins the second game to send the match into a decider. Lee Chong is 4-0 against Leverdez in career stats

Lee Chong Wei wins second match 24-22 in a tense and exciting turnaround! #2017bwc pic.twitter.com/omQmfU6vQ1

— 2017BWC (@2017BWC) August 22, 2017

Is the first major upset about to happen? Lee Chong Wei match point down

What a turnaround!

It's 20-20 in the second game as Lee fights back from being 16-11 down at one point. #2017BWC

— Shivam Damohe (@mancpunk) August 22, 2017

Other results:

India’s top ranked mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy show their class in the first round against Prajakta Sawant and Yogendran Krishnan.

Leverdez maintains his lead and is just three points away from causing the first upset of #2017BWC.

Damn!

— Shivam Damohe (@mancpunk) August 22, 2017

Meanwhile, Lee Chong Wei is a game down and trails 16-11 in the second game against  Brice Leverdez. Are we in for the first shock of the World Championships in Glasgow?

Meanwhile, Lee Chong Wei is struggling to find his feet in the second game. He lost the first one by two points

The Frenchman leads 11-6 at the halfway mark of the second game. Lee is struggling and Leverdez cannot believe it! #2017BWC

— Shivam Damohe (@mancpunk) August 22, 2017

Praneeth wins 21-18, 21-17. But should have done that more easily... still good. #2017BWC

— V Krishnaswamy (@Swinging_Swamy) August 22, 2017

Pranaav and Sikki keep leading in the second game too. Ahead 11-7 against Prajakta and Yogendran. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

That’s it! 

B Sai Praneeth beats Wei Nan of Hong Kong 21-18, 21-17 to enter the next round of men’s singles. The Indian shuttler upped his game when needed in both the games and showed great resilience while trailing in the early stages. 

This is what we expected. Hopefully, more to come in the coming days. 

India continue to stay unbeaten in singles.

Sai Praneeth becomes the 5th singles shuttler to enter the next round of #2017BWC pic.twitter.com/uom5usOxmG

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

19-17! Praneeth steps up the pace and wins two points on the trot. Wei Nan is feeling the heat at the Emirates Arena.

There are times it looks as is Praneeth allows Wei Nan to loosen the stronghold. From 13-10, he allowed the Chinese to equalise and even inch ahead at 15-14. Cant afford to do that even though the Indian is clearly better.

Praneeth often allows Wei to loosen stronghold. Fm 13-10, he allowed Wei to 13-13 and then 15-14. Cant afford that tho Praneeth is better

— V Krishnaswamy (@Swinging_Swamy) August 22, 2017

Just like the first game, it's tight in the second!

Sai 15- 15 Wei. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

15-14! Hong Kong’s Wei Nan has managed to control his attacking drives which have, so far, proved to be the difference.

.@pranaav6 and @sikkireddy show their dominance in the opening game against Sawant and Khrishnan. Win it 21-12. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

12-13! Praneeth is prone to errors on the baseline and Wei Nan is targeting the same area smartly.

India's @pranaav6 & @sikkireddy win the 1st game 21-12 against Indo-Malaysian pair of Prajakta & Krishnanhttps://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ #2017BWC

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

9-8! Wei Nan pips Praneeth to take a one-point advantage. These two won’t give up easily, eh?

7-6! It’s again close in the second game between Sai Praneeth and Wei Nan. The Indian leads by a single point.

Pranaav and Sikki have a healthy 6-point lead at the break over Prajakta and Yogendran. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

On Court 5, India’s mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy lead 6-5 against the Indo-Malaysian duo of Prajakta Sawant and Yogendran Krishnan.

B Sai Praneeth wins first game: 21-18

Effective stroke-play and excellent court-coverage help the Indian ace claim the opening game against Wei Nan of Hong Kong.

Absolutely! 

The crowd loves @leechongwei! #2017bwc pic.twitter.com/2WETNlc7Gd

— 2017BWC (@2017BWC) August 22, 2017

On Court 5, Pranaav Chopra and Sikki Reddy will be in action against compatriot Prajakta Sawant and Malaysia's Yogendran Khrishnan. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

17-17! Same old story in the opening game as Praneeth defends well to level again. The Indian shuttler must maintain his form from here on.

16-14! The Hong Kong shuttler bags two points quickly. On the adjacent court, Lee Chong Wei and Brice Leverdez are playing their match.

14-14! Both the shuttlers have covered the court with ease after the mid-game break. There is nothing to separate the two.

12-12! Praneeth fights back and shows great court movement near the tramlines to level the scores in the opening game.

Praneeth is ranked way higher at 19 to Wei Nan’s 44th. Both were around 32 in April and then Praneeth went up dramatically. Wei Nan 11-9 up right now

11-9! Hong Kong's Wei Nan has a two-point advantage at the halfway mark of the 1st game. Praneeth looks nervous https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

9-5! Wei Nan wins four consecutive points and puts the Indian shuttler in pressure. Great footwork from Wei there to hit a classic winner.

7-9! And Praneeth responds with two net shots and closes the gap by two points. Looks like this match will go down the wire.

5-5! It’s neck in neck in the opening game as both the shuttlers have been good with their shot-selection from the basepoint.

And now, it’s time for the men’s singles action. 

India’s B Sai Praneeth is up against Wei Nan in the men’s singles event. Can he continue his good form?

Up next on Court 4, Sai Praneeth will be up against Hong Kong's Wei Nan for a place in the next round. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Another one bites the dust! 

Indian mixed doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnapp and Sumeeth Reddy end their World Championships campaign after losing 17-21, 21-18, 5-21 to Wang Y and Huang D of China.

18-4! Wang Y and Huang D are rampant in the third and final game. No chance for the Indian duo for a comeback here. Shake of the head from Sumeeth.

2-13! The Chinese pair is running away with the lead in the decider. Things are clearly not going the way Ashwini and Sumeeth want.

Yilyu/ Dongping are using all their experience here. Take an early lead in the final game.

Leading 10-2 against Ashwini/ Sumeeth. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

2-7! Meanwhile, Ashwini and Sumeeth are on the backfoot in the deciding game against Wang Y and Huang D. The Chinese pair looks more confident after losing the second game.

Heartbreak for the Indian duo! 

Satwik and Maneesha are out. Lose 20-22, 18-21 to Christiansen and Sara Thygesen in the second round of the mixed doubles event.

Game on!@P9Ashwini & @buss_reddy take the second game 21-18 against 16th ranked pair of Yilyu and Dongping to stay in the match. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Ashwini/ Sumeeth play a great final point to win 2nd game 21-18 after a mini surge from 18-all. That was gutsy and good play. Indians kept the Chinese pinned to the back in a long rally on game point and eventually won. One game all

Time for a decider! 

.Ashwini Ponnappa and Sumeeth Reddy take the second game 21-18 against Wang Y and Huang D of China. This is what the duo missed out on in the first game. A bit of hesitation at the net cost them the opening game but now they have a chance to clinch the match.

19-18! Great movement from the Indian duo. A mix of attacking and defensive shots from the baseline is troubling the Wang Y and Huang D. Ashwini and Sumeeth need to win this one and force the match into a decider.

14-14! Ashwini and Sumeeth have fought back in the match to level the scores in the second game. Crucial three points ahead.

11-9! The Danish pair leads at the halfway mark of the 2nd game against Satwik and Maneesha

LIVE: https://t.co/gJDbmXhNHJ

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 22, 2017

Satwik/ Maneesha putting in a  gritty show. Slender lead 10-9 in second game after losing first. Not going down without a fight  to Christiansen/ Thygesen

Ashwini/ Sumeeth came together as a pairing only his year in January and played Syed Modi International. They were 516, to begin with, and are now 56th. The Chinese Wang/ Huang have been consistently in Top-20 and are 16th here at the World Championships.

Second game updates:

6-6! Ashwini and Sumeeth are pairing up well after an average first game. The Chinese duo played a few attacking shots early on but this time the Indians defended and returned well. 

5-6! After missing out on winning the first game by a whisker, Satwik and Maneesha trail by one point.

Satwik/ Maneesha lose first game 20-22 after a good fight. They took time to settle down, but the 14th seed Danes Christiansen and Thygesen are a class above them. 

The Danes Christiansen and Thygesen are ranked 17th as against the indians’ 77th. Thats a fair bit of a gap.

Wang Y & Huang D of China claim first game 21-17 against Sumeeth and Ashwini. It was a close opening game but the Indian duo lost the plot in the dying stages.

The second game gets underway

20-20! This is impressive from Satwik and Maneesha. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Intense battle going on. Satwik and Maneesha are trailing 16-18 against the Danes. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Intense battle going on. Satwik and Maneesha are trailing 16-18 against the Danes. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Wang/ Huang made the big move, capitalising on some errors from India and they moved from 11-12 to 17-12 – six points in a row. That made the difference in the first game. Chinese won 21-17. But Indians did save two game points.

14-17! On Court 5, Satwik and Maneesha are trailing to the Danes in the opening game.

12-17! The Chinese pair is running away with the lead. Sumeeth and Ponnappa need to defend better.

Meanwhile, the Danish pair of Mathias C and Thygensen S have the upper hand at the first break. Leading 11-6 against Satwik and Maneesha.

#2017BWC Sumeet/Ashwini neck and neck with Wang/ Huang 11-11 @FirstpostSports pic.twitter.com/J8rjrMM6Hx

— V Krishnaswamy (@Swinging_Swamy) August 22, 2017

7-10! Ashwini Ponnappa and Sumeeth Reddy are trying to settle in the early stages of the first game, while their opponents are looking comfortable with a mix of attacking and defensive strokes.

11-10!

India’s Sumeeth Reddy & Ashwini Ponnappa trail by a single point at the mid-game interval against Wang W & Huang D

Neck and neck start for the Indian duo against the Chinese pair. 9-9. #2017BWC

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

And the action gets underway inside the Emirates Arena

On Court 5, yesterday’s victorious pair of K Maneesha and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are up against Denmark’s S Thygesen and M Christiansen.

#2017BWC Day 2 begins shortly!

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sumeeth Reddy will be in action against Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping.

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 22, 2017

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of Day 2 of the World Badminton Championships 2017! PV Sindhu, B Sai Praneeth and Ajay Jayaram play their first matches of the championships today while Ashwini Ponnappa and Sumeeth Reddy, who were given a bye in the first round yesterday, play against Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping.