Satwik-Chirag cruise to next round, Sindhu avoids early scare

Changzhou [China], July 23 (ANI): India top-ranked shuttler duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty cruised into the Round of 16 with consummate ease, while PV Sindhu brushed off an early scare to book her berth in the next phase at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou, in the ongoing China Open 2025 on Wednesday.

In their Round of 32 clash, Satwik and Chirag hardly broke a sweat and wrapped up the contest on an emphatic note with a 21-13, 21-9 triumph over the Japanese pair of Kenya Mitsuhashi and Hiroki Okamura in 31 minutes.

Before entering the fixture, the Indian duo had never lost a game against the Japanese pair, ensuring their flawless run remained intact. They hardly gave anything away and stamped their authority with their relentless approach in straight games.

In the women category, Japan Tomoka Miyazaki threatened to end Sindhu campaign, but the two-time Olympic medallist roared back to qualify for the pre-quarter-finals. Sindhu clinched a 21-15, 8-21, 21-17 victory over Miyazaki in a fixture that lasted for 1 hour and 2 minutes.

In her second meeting against the sixth seed, Sindhu dominated her Japanese opposition in the opening game, built an early healthy lead and clinched the game. In the second game, Sindhu fought for control against Miyazaki and eventually conceded a comprehensive 8-21 defeat.

The match headed to the deciding game, which was fought almost on level terms. However, Sindhu upped the ante and landed the decisive blow to earn a place in the Round of 16.

Meanwhile, in the women doubles event, the Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, faced a stern challenge against the experienced Hong Kong China duo and concluded their campaign. They were ousted convincingly with a 12-21, 13-21 defeat.

Earlier in the tournament, Lakshya Sen campaign concluded on a bitter note while HS Prannoy barely managed to conjure a way and crawled to victory. (ANI)

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