Asian Games  : Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy suffer shock defeats in second round of the men’s singles matches

Jakarta : Top Indian shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy were knocked out of the 18th Asian Games after suffering shock defeats in the second round of the men’s singles matches on Friday.

It was a disappointing end for India’s campaign in men’s singles as Srikanth and Prannoy failed to raise the bar after their early exits from the Nanjing World Championship early this month.

After Srikanth lost 21-23, 19-21 to Wong Wing Ki Vincent of Hong Kong in a 43-minute duel, Prannoy too followed suit going down 12-21, 21-15, 15-21 to Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen in a 65-minute contest, much to the dismay of Indian fans.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy, however, brought some cheers after reaching the quarter-finals with a thrilling 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 win over higher-ranked Malaysian combination of Chow Mei Kuan and Lee Meng Yean in women’s doubles. However, the Indian duo will have to find a way to outwit their next opponents Chinese third seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan on Saturday for a chance to win a medal.

PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will be in contention on Saturday in women’s singles. Sindhu will face local player Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, while Saina takes on Indonesia’s Fitriani.

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