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Report: India's campaign in the women's singles category of the Japan Open Superseries ended after PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal lost in straight games to local favourite Nozomi Okuhara and Spain's Carolina Marin, in their respective matches here on Thursday.
However, there was good news from the men's singles with Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy advancing to the quarter-finals.
Playing local favourite Okuhara for the third consecutive time in as many tournaments, Sindhu failed to repeat her Korea Open form and committed too many errors to go down 18-21 8-21 in a lop-sided 47-minute contest.
Sindhu squandered a lead of 11-9 and 18-16 in the opening game and looked completely out of sorts in the second game to bow out early.
On the other hand, playing her first tournament after the bronze medal feat at the World Championships, Saina failed to put up a fight and meekly went down 16-21 13-21 to the reigning Olympic champion.
Saina too squandered a bright start, with a slender 11-9 lead in the first game before trailing 10-17 in the second and eventually bowing out meekly.
Among the men, World No.8 Srikanth, who clinched back-to-back titles in Indonesia and Australia this year, demolished Hong Kong's Hu Yun 21-12 21-11 within half an hour to make it to the final eight.
The Indian will now face the recently crowned world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.
US Open Champion Prannoy managed to upstage Chinese Taipei's Hsu Jen Hao 21-16 23-21. He will now play against second seed Chinese Shi Yuqi.
In the mixed doubles category, the pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy played their hearts out before losing 27-29 21-16 12-21 to Indonesian fourth seeds Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto in a match that lasted an hour and six minutes.
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Updated Date: Sep 22, 2017 16:02:37 IST
Highlights
Viktor Axelsen beats Srikanth Kidambi: 21-17, 21-17
World champion Axelsen gets the better of Srikanth straight games to enter the semi-finals of the men's singles event in Tokyo. It wasn't a lop-sided clash but the Dane proved to be a handful for Srikanth with his incredible stroke-play not only at the net but also on the sidelines of the court. The Indian shuttler was stretched near the backcourt at times, which allowed Axelsen to quickly cover the court and play attacking strokes.
Axelsen seals opening game: 21-17
After drawing level at 17-17, the Dane takes four back-to-back points to snatch the first game from Srikanth. The Indian showed great composure and was in control of his shots but Axelsen attacked well to take a 1-0 lead in this quarter-final match.
Son Wan Ho beats Lin Dan: 21-15, 21-15
The Korean shuttler outnumbered the three-time Japan Open Superseries champion in three games to book his place in the semi-finals in Tokyo. Son showed a totally different game, although Lin made a lot of errors, to finish the match before the Chinese could even react.
Son Wan Ho wins the opening game: 21-15
After leading for the major part of the first game, Lin Dan succumbs to Son's wrist wizardry and gave away a few points after the break. The Korean took advantage of the slump and wrapped up the game in no time.
Son Wan Ho wins the opening game: 21-15
After leading for the major part of the first game, Lin Dan succumbs to Son's wrist wizardry and gave away a few points after the break. The Korean took advantage of the slump and wrapped up the game in no time.
Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Chopra enter maiden semis
The unseeded Indian duo defeated Korea's Kim Ha Na and Seung Jae 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 in 58 minutes. What a moment for doubles badminton in India! Sikki and Pranaav combined well after losing the second game by a heavy margin. Pranaav was pretty impressive at the net.
Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Chopra claim the opening game 21-18 against Korea's Kim Ha Na and Seung Jae. A confident start allowed them to further play with more comfort. Remember, they are playing their first ever Superseries quarter-final match.
Carolina Marin defeats Akane Yamaguchi: 21-18, 21-15
The eight seed Spanish ace entered the semi-finals of the women's singles after cruising past crowd favourite Yamaguchi in straight games. It took 53 minutes for Marin to knock the Japanese out.
Shi Yuqi beats HS Prannoy: 21-15, 21-14
The Chinese shuttler registers a comfortable win over Prannoy in straight games to enter the semi-finals of the men's singles. Prannoy put up a good fight in both the games with good movement and court coverage, however, he was beaten at the net quite often.
Shi Yuqi wins the opening game: 21-15
The Chinese shuttler started well and maintained the pressure on HS Prannoy to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The length of his shots was inch perfect. Prannoy needs to kill the rally early to unsettle Shi.
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15:50 (IST)
World Championships bronze medallist and 2016 World Junior Championships winner China's Chen Yufei has booked her place in the semi-final defeating Japan's Aya Ohari 21-13, 10-21, 21-19 in a gruelling 65-minute encounter.
Yufei will square off against compatriot and fifth seeded He Bingjao for a place in the final.
In the other women's semi-final, the World Champion Nozomi Okuhara will face Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin.
In the men's singles, No 1 seed Son Wan Ho will face Axelsen while the 3-time Japan Open Champion Lee Chong Wei will face Shi Yuqi for a place in the final.
Though Kidambi Srikanth lost to World Champion Viktor Axelsen, there was one reason for Indians to rejoice.
The mixed doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra have made it to their first Superseries semi-final tomorrow and join Firstpost for all the live updates, scores and results of the penultimate day of the Japan Open Superseries.
That's it for today and join Firstpost tomorrow for the semi-final action of the Japan Open Superseries tournament.
Thank you.
14:03 (IST)
14:00 (IST)
Viktor Axelsen beats Srikanth Kidambi: 21-17, 21-17
World champion Axelsen gets the better of Srikanth straight games to enter the semi-finals of the men's singles event in Tokyo. It wasn't a lop-sided clash but the Dane proved to be a handful for Srikanth with his incredible stroke-play not only at the net but also on the sidelines of the court. The Indian shuttler was stretched near the backcourt at times, which allowed Axelsen to quickly cover the court and play attacking strokes.
13:46 (IST)
16-18! Srikanth hits two tight-spinning net shots from the front to close the gap on Axlesen's lead. Can he go all the way?
13:45 (IST)
18-14! Brilliant over-the-head shot by Axelsen gives him the extra edge in the second game over Srikanth.
13:43 (IST)
16-14! What a crosscourt smash that was from Axelsen!
He is in complete control of his shots from the backcourt. Also, he is finding angles to hit a drop.
13:42 (IST)
14-15! Srikanth is slowly clawing back into the match. A couple of errors at the net by the Dane allows Srikanth to use the acute angle and hit a smash.
13:41 (IST)
14-12! Axelsen kills the shot with a straight smash from the mid-court. He leads by two points.
13:38 (IST)
12-12! Axelsen hits a forehand drive that lands wide and gives Srikanth a point. We are back level in the second game.
13:36 (IST)
13:35 (IST)
9-9! Three successive points for the Dane this time. The see-saw battle continues between the two attacking shuttlers.
13:34 (IST)
9-6! The Indonesia SSP champion opens a three-point lead over the world champion in the second game. Srikanth should extend his lead at the break.
13:33 (IST)
7-5! Srikanth maintains a two-point lead over the Dane. A great net shot to deceive Axelsen.
13:32 (IST)
6-4! Srikanth extends his lead by two points. However, he must be careful of hitting shots too deep as the Dane can defend those with his forehand drives.
13:31 (IST)
3-2! Srikanth has a slender one-point lead in the second game. He needs to up his game after the break as Axelsen tends to attack more after the mid-game interval.
13:29 (IST)
Axelsen seals opening game: 21-17
After drawing level at 17-17, the Dane takes four back-to-back points to snatch the first game from Srikanth. The Indian showed great composure and was in control of his shots but Axelsen attacked well to take a 1-0 lead in this quarter-final match.
13:24 (IST)
20-17! A run of four straight points puts Srikanth under pressure. Axelsen has been brilliant at the net after the mid-game break.
13:24 (IST)
20-17! A run of four straight points puts Srikanth under pressure. Axelsen has been brilliant at the net after the mid-game break.
13:23 (IST)
18-17! A backhand push and the shuttle drops inside the baseline. Axelsen leads against Srikanth in the opening game.
13:21 (IST)
16-16!
Axelsen levels the scores in no time. A straight body smash to make this contest even more interesting.
13:19 (IST)
16-13! 6 out of the last 8 points have been in Srikanth's favour. Axelsen has been pushed towards the backcourt.
13:18 (IST)
14-13! Srikanth plays a cheeky drop shot to unsettle Axelsen. This was a smart shot by the Guntur-born shuttler.
13:17 (IST)
12-12! This is a great battle already. Both the shuttlers have shown their attacking shots so far. Srikanth was a tad defensive early on.
13:15 (IST)
13:14 (IST)
10-10! And three straight points to Srikanth this time. He controls his short from the mid-court and slices the shuttle to play a superb drop shot.
13:13 (IST)
10-7! Axelsen wins three consecutive points to take the lead in the opening game against Srikanth.
13:12 (IST)
6-6! Both shuttlers like to attack from the forecourt and that's what they are looking for in the early stages of the first game. This looks like a good contest already.
13:09 (IST)
4-4! Srikanth draws level with a sublime crosscourt shot. So, that's three straight points for the Indian shuttler.
13:07 (IST)
3-0! Axelsen makes a strong start to the opening game and hits a jump smash to claim the third point against Srikanth
13:01 (IST)
Kidambi Srikanth vs Viktor Axelsen: Preview
2017 has been a fantastic year for both Srikanth and Axelsen as the two have been on an upward trajectory and have bagged a couple of top honours. The Danish shuttler won the India Open Superseries in March (defeated Srikanth 21-7, 21-12 in the second round) and the recently-concluded World Championships, while Srikanth won back-to-back titles at the Indonesia Superseries Premier and the Australia Superseries.
This is the Indian's fourth-straight Superseries semi-final appearance.
It's all even in the head-to-head meetings, however, Axlesen has won the last two encounters in straight games.
12:23 (IST)
Son Wan Ho beats Lin Dan: 21-15, 21-15
The Korean shuttler outnumbered the three-time Japan Open Superseries champion in three games to book his place in the semi-finals in Tokyo. Son showed a totally different game, although Lin made a lot of errors, to finish the match before the Chinese could even react.
12:12 (IST)
15-11! The current World No 1 has successfully kept former World No 1 at bay in the second game. Surprisingly, Son's approach towards this match has been more on the attacking side. Lin has lost a few points due to errors at the net.
12:08 (IST)
12:03 (IST)
8-6! Son is on the front foot yet again. He starts the second game confidently and has a two-point lead over Lin. Can the Chinese fight back to draw level?
12:01 (IST)
Son Wan Ho wins the opening game: 21-15
After leading for the major part of the first game, Lin Dan succumbs to Son's wrist wizardry and gave away a few points after the break. The Korean took advantage of the slump and wrapped up the game in no time.
12:01 (IST)
Son Wan Ho wins the opening game: 21-15
After leading for the major part of the first game, Lin Dan succumbs to Son's wrist wizardry and gave away a few points after the break. The Korean took advantage of the slump and wrapped up the game in no time.
11:53 (IST)
18-14! Son has opened a four-point lead over Lin as we approach the conclusion of the opening game.
11:53 (IST)
23-21! Okuhara survives a scare but ensures the match doesn't go into a decider. Zhang gave the World Champion a run for her money in the second game but the Japanese shuttler held on to her nerves to win the match and book a semi-final berth in the Japan Open Superseries
11:48 (IST)
Lin Dan leads 11-9 at the break of the opening game against Son. Both players have played classy strokes from the mid-court so far and it the Korean looks more than defensive today.
11:41 (IST)
Lin Dan is in action against World No 1 Son Wan Ho of Korea in the quarter-finals of men's singles. The Chinese recently defeated Son in straight games in the semi-finals of World Championships.
11:22 (IST)
21-16! Okuhara draws first blood as she takes the first game convincingly. Though Zhang showed signs of a tough fight, Okuhara proved to be too much for the Chinese-born American badminton player who now has to play to stay alive in this match.
11:00 (IST)
It is time for some singles action. The World Champion and the home-favourite Nozomi Okuhara will face Zhang Bei Wen from the United States of America.
Okuhara holds the head-to-head advantage over Zhang Bei Wen (2-0)
10:46 (IST)
Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Chopra enter maiden semis
The unseeded Indian duo defeated Korea's Kim Ha Na and Seung Jae 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 in 58 minutes. What a moment for doubles badminton in India! Sikki and Pranaav combined well after losing the second game by a heavy margin. Pranaav was pretty impressive at the net.
10:34 (IST)
18-18! We have a close contest in the mixed doubles section.....
Sikki-Pranaav and Kim Ha Na-Seung are tied and are just three points away from entering the semi-finals. Who will reach first?
10:26 (IST)
11-9! Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Chopra have a two-point advantage at the break of the third game over the Korean pair
Can they win this and enter their maiden semi-finals?
10:23 (IST)
Chou Tien Chen takes the match into a decider with a 21-15 win in the second game against Lee Chong Wei. A good comeback after losing the first game badly against Lee. The Malaysian was slow to react to the drop shot at times.
10:16 (IST)
10:02 (IST)
Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Chopra claim the opening game 21-18 against Korea's Kim Ha Na and Seung Jae. A confident start allowed them to further play with more comfort. Remember, they are playing their first ever Superseries quarter-final match.
10:00 (IST)
09:53 (IST)
11-7! Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra have taken a four-point lead at the mid-game interval of the first game against Korea's Kim Ha Na and Seung Jae