In what was a mixed feeling opening day for the Indian camp, women’s team defeated Canada easily in the Uber Cup while the men’s team went down to Malaysia in the Thomas Cup here at the Siri Fort Sports Complex on Sunday.
Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, doubles pair of Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponnappa and Pradnya Gadre & N Siki Reddy and PC Thulasi, all won their matches as India thrashed Canada 5-0. Men’s team though lost 1-4 to Malaysia and only youngster MV Gurusaidutt could win his match.Team captain and world No. 8 Saina won 21-4, 21-12 against Ko Joyceiyn while world championships bronze medalist and world No. 11 PV Sindhu made it 2-0 with 21-16, 21-3 win over Rachael Honderich.
The Indian duo had no trouble and both played aggressive game from the word go. “I am happy to start on a winning note. Results were along expected lines. I am returning to my old form slowly, but I am there. I am fit, but won’t say 100 percent because no player can be cent percent fit,” Saina said after the match.later, doubles pair of Jwala-Ashwini made it invincible 3-0 with a 21-11, 21-12 win over Bruce Alex-Chan Phyllis. Then, Thulasi also enjoyed an easy outing as she toyed with Tam Brittney 21-11, 21-13 to give a 4-0 lead to the hosts.India’s second doubles combination of Pradnya-N Siki dropped first game 20-22 but managed to win the remaining two against Canada’s pair of Gao Grace-Honderich, 21-18, 21-16 to win the rubber.
Women’s team will face Hong Kong in their next pool encounter.Earlier, men’s team lost 1-4 against the world No.1 lee Chong Wei-lead Malaysia. The two-time silver medallists set the ball rolling for the visitors, overpowering world No 18 K Srikanth 21-19, 21-12 in the first rubber.Young Srikant fought hard against the 31-year-old legend and even took a five-point lead at a time. But, the Malaysian eased off the pressure to win it from thereon.
In the second game, the pair of Boon Heong Tan and Thien How Hoon gave Malaysia a 2-0 advantage with their win over B Sumeet Reddy-Manu Attri 21-14, 21-11. In the do-or-die match, skipper Parupalli Kashyap came a cropper against Wei Feng Chong.
India had high expectations from the team’s senior most and world No. 21 Kashyap but he lost 21-13, 21-6 against the world No. 27 in a 30-minutes affair. “Nothing worked for me today. There was no momentum in my game,” Kashyap told reporters.later, Akshay Dewalker-Pranaav Jerry Chopra managed to win a game for India but lost the men’s doubles second rubber 21-17, 14-21, 21-14.
However, the bright spot for the home side was RMV Gurusaidutt, who pulled one back for the team with a win over Daren liew. After losing 18-21, the world No. 30 not only improved his game but also put liew under pressure.Guru played well near the court and also came up with good smashes to win the second game 21-13 and later held his nerves to take the third game 21-19.
“It was a good match for me and the win was important. You don’t know when the match will turn. If we win against Korea, depending on the margin of victory, this win will count. This was the third time I was meeting Daren liew. I have played him before in the IBl (Indian Badminton league). I was simply concentrating on winning the last point because I have lost some matches losing concentrating during the last few points. I think we still have a very good chance to go through,” said Guru after the match which lasted for 64 minutes.
In the other Group C match, Korea, who will play India next, had to twice come back from behind to beat Germany 3-2.The Koreans were bailed out by their doubles stars after Mark Zwiebler and Dieter Domke had put the Germans ahead with clinical victories in first and second singles.