Indonesia Open: HS Prannoy stuns legend Lin Dan, Saina Nehwal advance

HS Prannoy got his campaign to a flying start after stunning two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan 21-15, 9-21, 21-14 at the $1.25 million Indonesia Open in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The eight seeded Indian required just 59 minutes to defeat the Chinese legend and five-tine World Champion and progress to the next round, where he will face Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei.

Wang beat Prannoy’s compatriot B Sai Praneeth 21-10, 21-13 in straight sets to advance to the next stage. The game lasted for just 34 minute and was the 15th ranked shuttler’s third win in as many meetings over the Indian.

World No. 13 Prannoy started off well against Dan, winning the first game 21-15. However, the eight-ranked Chinese came back strong to win the second 21-9 and level the match. But he could not stop the Indian’s addiction of overcoming tough opponents as Prannoy rallied on to a comfortable 21-14 third set victory and sealed the game.

Saina Nehwal progress

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal advanced to the second round with a 21-12, 21-12 straight set win over local player Dinar Dyah Ayustine at the Indonesia Open on Tuesday.

The 10th ranked Indian needed just 35 minutes to defeat the Indonesian shuttler. Beginning the game with confidence Saina raked up a 7-2 lead before Ayustine cut it down to 6-7 at one point . But that was only time he came near causing any threat to the experienced campaigner.

Saina eventually grabbed the first game without any much fuss and it was the same one-sided affair as the second game began.

Fellow Indian Sameer Verma also entered the second round with a 21-9, 12-21, 22-20 victory against Danish Rasmus Gemke in an hour and nine minutes.

It was however curtains for Indian women’s doubles pair of Jakkampudi Meghana and Poorvisha S Ram, who went down 11-21, 18-21 to Indonesian Agatha Imanuela and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, in straight sets to knock themselves out of the competition.

Later, the Japanese duo of Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe beat the Indian pair of  Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty 21-8, 21-15