The Hindu : Sport : Saina exacts sweet revenge over Hirayama

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Saina exacts sweet revenge over Hirayama

V.V Subrahmanyam

Gayatri advances; Chunlai Bao, Xie Xingfang pull out

— Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

GOOD GOING: India’s Saina Nehwal had the measure of Japan’s Hirayama Yu in quick time on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: India’s best hope in the women’s section, Saina Nehawal, began her campaign in style with a 21-7, 21-14 win over Japan’s Hirayama Yu in the first round of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Grand Prix badminton championship at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.

The win helped the 19-year-old exact revenge for her first round loss to Hirayama in the recent All England championship.

Flawless show

Playing a near flawless game, National champion Saina was aggressive from the word go and there was the desired rhythm in her game. Saina had jotted down some notes about her rival’s game and her first priority was not to concede too many negative points.

She was clearly successful with a high quality first game. And in the second, when Hirayama threatened by coming back from a 2-7 deficit to level the scores, Saina raised the level to emerge a clear winner.

The other Indian to delight a sparse crowd was 18-year-old Gayatri Varatak, who disposed of the challenge of Italian Allegrini Agnese 17-21, 21-7, 21-16 in another first-round game. The tall Indian, a semifinalist in the recent Welsh Open, warded off a brief resistance in the third game to come up with big points to clinch the issue.

Second-seeded Lu Lan of China showed the door to Trupti Murgunde of India 21-7, 21-14 in a first round encounter. India’s lone mixed doubles pair of V. Diju and Gutta Jwala lost to Thailand duo of Prapakamol Sudket and Thounghongkam Saralee 17-21, 11-21.

Meanwhile, top seeds in both men’s and women’s sections — Chunlai Bao and Xie Xingfang (both from China) have pulled out.

Bhat beaten

Late in the night, fourth-seeded Sung Hwan Park of Korea defeated India’s highest-ranked player in the event, Arvind Bhat, 21-17, 20-22, 21-14.

Meanwhile, the organiser of the event, NEB Sports, has announced cash incentives for the Indian players by virtue of their performances in the main draw.

Reward for Indians

S. Nagaraj, chairman and managing director of NEB Sports, said that Rs. 10,000 would be given to the Indian players who made it to the main draw, Rs. 20,000 for second round appearance and Rs. 30,000 for a third round appearance. The quarterfinalists will be paid Rs. 50,000, the semifinalists Rs. 1 lakh and the winner a bonus of Rs. 2 lakh.

The results: Men’s singles: Second round: Sho Sasaki (Jpn) bt P. Kashyap (Ind) 21-9, 18-21, 21-12; Chetan Anand (Ind) bt Ayob Sairul Amar (Mas) 24-22, 21-15; Sung Hwan Park (Kor) bt Arvind Bhat (Ind) 21-17, 20-22, 21-14.

First round: Kashyap bt Chen Yong Zaho Ashton (Sin) 21-18, 21-14; Sasaki bt R. M.V. Guru Sai Dutt (Ind) 21-18, 22-24, 21-16; Hsieh Yu Hsin (Tpe) bt Susilo Ronald (Sin) 21-16, 21-9; Asuncion Kennevic (Phi) bt Wong Zi Lian Derek (Sin) 21-19, 15-21, 24-22; Lee Yen Hui Kendric (Sin) bt Lu Chi Yung (Tpe) 21-7, 21-10; Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) bt Jishnu Sanyal (Ind) 21-8, 21-19; Ayob Sairul Amar bt Longo Carlos (Esp) 21-5, 21-10; Chan Yan Kit (Hkg) bt Chan Kwong Beng (Mas) 22-20, 15-21, 21-11; Zhu Weilun (Chn) bt Abian Pablo (Esp) 21-15, 21-18; Anand Pawar (Ind) bt Corpancho Andres (Per) 21-14, 21-10; Tan Chun Seang Seang (Mas) bt Ellis Thomas (Nzl) 21-9, 21-11; Yeoh Kay Bin (Mas) bt Sapkulchanarat Poompat (Tha) 21-16, 19-21, 21-11; Shahhosseini Ali (Iri) bt Pei Wee Chung (Mas) 20-22, 21-18, 22-20.

Women’s singles: First round: Pai Jie Min (Tpe) w/o Xie Xingfang (Chn); Eriko Hirose (Jpn) bt Sikki Reddy (Ind) 21-9, 21-12; Saina Nehawal (Ind) bt Hirayama Yu (Jpn) 21-7, 21-14; Anita Raj Kaur (Mas) bt Lamy Filipa (Por) 21-15, 21-16; Lu Lan (Chn) bt Trupti Murgunde (Ind) 21-7, 21-14; Wong Julia Pei Xian (Mas) bt Cheah Li Ya Lidia (Mas) 17-21, 21-8, 21-9; Zhou Mi (Hkg) bt Mingtian (Sin) 21-10, 21-17; Ponsana Salakjit (Tha) bt Augustyn Kamila (Pol) 21-11, 21-11; Moura Ana (Por) bt Cheng Shao Chieh (Tpe) 21-18, 21-14.

Prutsch Simone (Aut) bt Tavera Lucia (Esp) 22-20, 21-16; Kaori Mori (Jpn) bt Xing Aiying (Sin) 21-18, 21-14; Zhu Lin (Chn) bt Yoana Martinez (Esp) 21-13, 21-9; Aditi Mutatkar (Ind) bt Chansrisukot Soratja (Tha) 21-19, 21-14; Yip Pui Yin (HK) bt Santos Telma (Por) 21-14, 21-9; Pohl Shanon (USA) w/o Wang Li (Chn); Gayatri Varatak (Ind) bt Allegrini Agnese (Ita) 17-21, 21-7, 21-16.

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