Jwala-Ashwini progress in Japan Open

Top Indian doubles shuttlers Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa continued their good run when they proceeded to the women's doubles second round at the $250,000 Japan Open Super Series here Wednesday.

The Indian combine, who were in fine form during last month's Uber Cup, moved past Japan's Ayane Kurihara and Naru Shinoya 21-18, 21-16 in 36 minutes in their first match at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

In the next round, the World No.32 pair will face a tough challenge against South Korean sixth seeds Kyung Eun Jung and Ha Na Kim. Though the Koreans are ranked higher at No.10, Jwala and Ashwini can take heart from the fact that the head-to-head reads 1-all.

Meanwhile, Ashwini also progressed to the second round of mixed doubles with partner Tarun Kona when they beat higher ranked German pair Peter Kaesbauer and Isabel Herttrich 18-21, 21-18, 21-17 in 53 minutes. They will take on local pair Kenichi Hayakawa and Misaki Matsutomo next.

However, India's two leading men's singles shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap had to bite the dust as they experienced first round exits.

Germany's Marc Zwiebler exacted revenge from Srikanth for his Thomas Cup loss last month by beating the World No.13 18-21, 21-13, 21-8 in 49 minutes to make it 1-all in career meets.

Earlier, Japan's World No.116 Riichi Takeshita caused a huge upset when he drubbed World No.21 Parupalli Kashyap 15-21, 25-23, 21-18 in a marathon match which lasted an incredible hour and 18 minutes.

R.M.V. Gurusaidutt also lost his first round match when Takuma Ueda of Japan beat the Indian 21-10, 15-21, 21-13 in an hour and two minutes to take a 3-0 lead in career meetings.

However, Sourabh Varma came out victorious by edging past Hong Kong's Nan Wei 19-21, 21-14, 22-20 in an hour and six minutes while Mumbai's Tanvi Lad also entered the women's singles second round by beating Scottish Kirsty Gilmour 13-21, 21-11, 21-17 in an hour and three minutes.