Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap made a positive start to his campaign at the Korea Super Series, notching up back-to-back wins over Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Hsien and Kan Chao Yu to reach the main draw of the men’s singles event, in Seoul on Tuesday.
Kashyap, who had finished runners-up at the US Open Grand Prix Gold in July, saw off Hsien 21-19, 21-9 in a 35- minute match and then notched up a 21-19, 21-18 win over another Taiwanese Kan Chao Yu 21-19, 21-18 in the next qualifying match.
The London Olympics quarter-finalist will face Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Jen Hao in the main draw. The Indian has beaten Hao thrice and lost once at the 2014 Asia Badminton Championship.
In mixed doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, who had some good performances at the Sudirman Cup, also advanced to the main draw after two successive wins.
The Indian duo defeated Germany’s Peter Kaesbauer and Olga Konon 21-12, 21-15 and then eked out a hard-fought 27-25, 21-17 win over Indonesia’s Ronald Ronald and Annisa Saufika.
Ashwini and Satwick will face Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet tomorrow.
However, heartbreak was in store for Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy in the main draw of mixed doubles as their fight ended with a 21-13, 19-21. 15-21 to fourth seeded Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto.
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