Badminton doubles pair Jwala-Ashwini out of Rio Olympics

The Indian pair wilted under pressure to lose the game 16-21 in 19 minutes against the Dutch pair

India's women's badminton doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa bowed out of the Rio Olympics after going down to Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek of the Netherlands in their second Group A match here on Friday.

The Indian duo suffered a 16-21, 21-16, 17-21 defeat against the Dutch pair in a contest that lasted more than one hour at the Riocentro arena.

Despite being neck-and-neck in the first half of the first game, the Indian pair wilted under pressure to lose the game 16-21 in 19 minutes.

The second game was dominated by the Indian pair as they raced to a three-point lead 11-8 and then to 18-15. They maintained the lead and did not let the advantage slip till the last to clinch the second game.

The decider game saw the Indians slip from a position of strength to submission. At one point they were at par but in the last, Jwala-Ashwini gave some easy points to lose the issue 17-21.

Jwala and Ashwin had also lost their opening match on Thursday against the Japanese pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi.

This was the Dutch's pair's second win in as many games and they and the Japanese pair of Matsutomo and Takahashi are through to the quarter-finals.

The Indian pair will play their final Group A clash against the Thai shuttlers Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who are also out of the Games.

--IANS

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