Indian shuttlers Ajay Jayaram and B Sai Praneeth advanced to the men's singles second round of the Korea Open in what turned out to be a mixed day for India at the USD 600,000 Super Series badminton tournament here today.
While Jayaram and Praneeth crossed the opening hurdle, K Srikanth, P Kashyap, H S Prannoy and Tanvi Lad fought equally hard in gruelling three-set games before bowing out of the tournament here.
Jayaram, who turned 29 today, celebrated his birthday with a 23-21 21-18 win over Korea's Jeon Hyeok Jin in a 45-minute battle. The Mumbai shuttler, who had lost to Jin at the Malaysia Masters last year, will next face China's Huang Yuxiang.
Praneeth too edged out Chinese Taipei's Hsu Jen-hao 21-13 12-21 21-15 in another match that last over an hour. He will next take on Korea's Son Wan Ho, seeded sixth.
However, Rio Olympics quarterfinalist Srikanth, seeded 8th, suffered a narrow 10-21 24-22 17-21 defeat against Wong Wing Ki Vincent of Hong Kong, while Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap, who played three-game matches yesterday, dished out another superb fight before losing 22-20 10-21 13-21 to fourth seeded Chinese Tian Houwei, who had finished as runners-up at All England Championship.
Swiss Open champion Prannoy also tried his best but his efforts didn't fructify as he lost 23-21 17-21 15-21 to Chinese Taipei's Wang Tzu Wei in the opening round.
The only competitor at women's singles, Tanvi Lad also showed the stomach to fight before going down 18-21 21-13 18-21 to Denmark's Anna Thea Madsen.
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India are thus assured of the mixed doubles crown as Sikki and Pranaav, seeded second, who won two Grand Prix tournaments at Brazil and Russia last year, will now face seventh seeded compatriots Ashwini and Sumeeth in the finals.
India were also assured of the men's singles title after Praneeth set up a summit clash with Hong Kong Super Series finalist and National champion Sameer, seeded 8th, who produced better court coverage and placement to outwit an erratic Harsheel Dani, 15th seed, 21-15 21-11 in another semifinals match.
In the men's doubles, eighth seeds Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han of Chinese Taipei took out Indonesian seventh seeded combo of Berry Angriawan and Hardianto Hardianto 21-16 21-17 to reach the finals.
Top seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark also staved off a spirited challenge from the fourth seeded Indonesian duo of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto 11-21 21-17 21-19 in a match that lasted for an hour and four minutes.
The day also saw BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta announce a cash prize of Rs 50 lakhs and Rs 25 lakhs to Sindhu and chief national coach P Gopichand respectively, and Rs 10 lakh for Srikanth.
