After a chastening defeat against Denmark in their Sudirman Cup opener, India bounced back by outclassing Indonesia 4-1 at the Gold Coast on Tuesday to ensure that they have a fighting chance of progressing through to the knockout stages of the tournament.
The highlight of the day was the mixed doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and 16-year-old Satwik Sairaj pulling off an upset win over the experienced duo of Tontowi Ahmad and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja 21-15, 21-16.
The nail-biting encounter saw Sairaj build on his good start to the tournament with yet another terrific display during the rallies. Senior partner Ponappa was calm under pressure and was seen guiding Sairaj at various points during the contest. Despite going behind in the game early on, the Sairaj-Ponnappa duo showed little signs of nerves throughout the game.
Srikanth doubles the lead
India then went on to take a 2-0 lead with Kidambi Srikanth putting in a classy display to beat Jonatan Christie in the men’s singles encounter. A see-saw opening game saw the advantage oscillate back and forth between the two players. It was the Indian who had the measure of his opponent during the early stages, racing away to a 11-5 lead but Christie made a resilient comeback, trimming Srikanth’s lead down to three points.
Srikanth, though, was in superb form and wheeled away in style to close down the first game 21-15. The Hyderabad shuttler didn’t let go of the momentum he had built in the opening game and took a resounding 5-0 lead. Srikanth’s returns were too good to handle for Christie. The battling Indonesian reeled of points in a stretch and leveled scores at 15-15. Chrisie ran out of steam at a crucial stage and Srikanth took the match by winning the second game 21-16.
Sairaj also featured in the men’s doubles event, playing with Chirag Shetty against Kevin Sukamuljo and Marcus Gideon. Here, the Indonesian pair eased past the Indians in the first game, registering a comfortable 21-9 win. Sairaj and Shetty were undeterred by going behind and made Sukamuljo and Gideon sweat on a number of occasions and at one stage, were trailing by a slender margin at 9-11. However, the Sukamuljo-Gideon pair closed down the game with a 21-17 win the second game.
Sindhu reigns supreme
Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu was in supreme touch yet again as she beat 18-year-old Fitriani Fitriani in a match that lasted 42 minutes and won 21-8, 21-19. The 22-year-old was at ease in the first game, which she wrapped up in just 15 minutes. Sindhu’s drop shots and her trademark jump smashes were too good for Fitriani.
The second game was a tight affair with Fitriani’s net play improving considerably. The highlight of the game was the two players playing out a delightful 50-shot rally. Despite Fitriani being hot on the heels of the World N. 4, the Olympic silver medallist protected her lead and took closed down the game and helped her country take an unassailable lead in the contest.
N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa finish off in style
The women’s doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Ponnappa were also in fine form to post a commanding 21-12, 21-19 against Haris Della Destiara and Rosyita Putri Sari in the final match of the day. The encounter that lasted for 45 minutes saw supreme coordination between Reddy and Ponnappa as they dominated the first game to win 21-17.
It was far from smooth sailing for the Ponnappa-Reddy duo in the second game as Haris and Putri Sari took the lead. The Indian pair took the lead after bagging five straight points after the break. Despite making a couple of unforced errors on a couple of occasions, Reddy and Ponnppa sealed the tense game. India’s hopes of qualifying now hinge on the Indonesia-Denmark encounter.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!