Indian Open: PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth aim to reclaim home crown
Other Sports | March 25, 2019 17:25 ISTPV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will be expected to keep India's hopes afloat in the USD 350,000 India Open starting Tuesday.
PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will be expected to keep India's hopes afloat in the USD 350,000 India Open starting Tuesday.
Last week, Saina, who had reached the quarter-finals of the All England Championship, had broken the news that she was advised to get admitted to get treated for her illness.
World No.9 Nehwal went past the Scottish shuttler 21-17, 21-18 in the first round of women's singles.
Fifth-seeded Sindhu, who was beaten by Sung Ji twice in last three meetings, lost 16-21, 22-20, 18-21, despite saving as many as eight match points in the second and third game.
It was Sindhu and Saina's mentor and current chief national coach P Gopichand, who was the last Indian to win the championship back in 2001.
Terming the opportunity to fly Tejas as a great experience, the 23-year-old said that she is really "honoured."
Morten Frost believes that although there won't be any clear favourites but he is read to stick his neck out for the young Japanese woman.
The three-time former champion Saina used her powerful smashes to telling effect, registering a 21-18 21-15 win against Sindhu, a two-time winner, in the summit clash.
In a repeat of last edition's title clash at Nagpur, the two stalwarts will look to outdo each other and write another chapter in their on-field rivalry.
Pujara, his national teammates Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were nominated for the Sportsman of the Year (Team Sport) award, along with Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri.
PV Sindhu beat Riya Mookerjee 21-16 21-7 in 28 minutes to progress to the semifinals while Lakshya Sen beat Aryamann Tandon 21-14 21-10 in the quarters of the National Badminton Championships.
A former champion, Sindhu took time to get into the groove before claiming a 21-11 21-13 win over Malvika, who is a gold medallist at the South Asian U-21 Championship in Nepal.
With silver medals at all the major events, including the Olympics, World Championship, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Sindhu has been a formidable force in the world in the last three years.
Nobody from India has won the All England Championships in the last 18 years.
Sindhu and Saina will undoubtedly be the biggest attraction with some big names as last edition's finalists -- Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy are giving the tournament a miss due to fitness issues.
The next big event for Sindhu will be the All England Championship, a tournament last won by her mentor and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand in 2001.
Gopichand had claimed the All England Championship in 2001, more than two decades after Prakash Padukone became the first Indian to achieve the feat in 1980.
PV Sindhu feels she would have to give her 100 per cent in England in to win the women's singles title.
PV Sindhu beat Mariska Tunjung 23-21, 21-7 while Kidambi Srikanth got the better of Kenta Nishimoto 21-14 21-9 to reach the quarter-finals of Indonesia Masters.
After the engagements of Premier Badminton League (PBL), Sindhu decided to skip last week's Malaysia Masters and she will begin her campaign against former Olympic gold medallist China's Li Xuerui on Wednesday.
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