India went down 2-3 to Thailand in a closely-fought quarter-final match at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, on Friday.
HS Prannoy and the men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy won their respective matches to give India the lead, but it wasn’t enough as Thailand edged ahead.
Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy, the recently crowned mixed doubles Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold champions, started the tie for India, but despite a gutsy fight, could not get past Savitree Amitrapai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh, losing 25-23, 10-21, 10-21. The pair narrowly won the first game, but could not sustain the pressure in the next two in a match that lasted 50 minutes, PTI reported.
Prannoy was up next with India trailing 0-1 and the world No. 23 made quick work of Suppanyu Avihingsanon, beating him 21-18, 21-15 in 39 minutes.
With the tie level at 1-1, India’s men’s doubles pair of Manu and Sumeeth got the team ahead with a 21-19, 21-16 win over Kittinupong Kedren and Nipitphon Phuangphuape.
But India couldn’t continue the streak as newly-crowned national champion Rituparna Das lost to Pornpawee Chochuwong. The Thai world No. 40, who was the runner-up at the Malaysia Masters, took three games to beat Das 21-11, 12-21, 15-21.
It all came down to the women’s doubles match and where Ashwini Ponnappa paried with Sikki, took on world No. 10 pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai. The decider saw the Indian duo win the first game, but their higher-ranked rivals ultimately won 21-15, 17-21, 7-21 to knock India out.
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