Saina wins, Sindhu ousted from Indonesia Open

Jakarta: All Indian shuttlers, apart from Saina Nehwal, had to bite the dust in first round action at the $750,000 Indonesia Open Super Series Premier here Wednesday.

Though Olympic bronze medallist Saina came out on top, P.V. Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap went out of competition at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. A three-time winner here, Saina needed only 33 minutes to ease past Thailand`s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 21-15, 21-10 to take an amazing 7-1 lead in career meetings over the World No.9. The eighth seed will in the women`s singles second round meet Scottish Kirsty Gilmour against whom Saina has an unbeaten 2-0 head-to-head. Later, Sindhu`s match didn`t turn out as she had expected. The World No.10 Hyderabadi gave a good fight to China`s third seed Yihan Wang by taking the first game a long way before losing out 24-26. Sindhu fought brilliantly but ran out of steam to lose the second game too to the former World Champion 17-21. In men`s singles action, China`s Chen Yuekun beat Srikanth 21-12, 17-21, 21-16 in 55 minutes while Japanese fourth seed Kenichi Tago ousted Parupalli Kashyap 19-21, 21-8, 24-22 in an hour and nine minutes. Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will take on Indonesians Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth and Rizki Amelia Pradipta in the women`s doubles opener later in the day.