TOKYO, 23rd August (INS) – Former world number one Saina Nehwal opened her campaign at the BWF Badminton World Championships here on Tuesday by defeating her opponent in the first round.
She then received a walkover from Japan’s sixth seed Nazumi Okuhara, who retired through injury while reaching the women’s singles before the quarterfinals. Saina, 32, who won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Jakarta and a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships in Glasgow, defeated Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi 21-19, 21-9 in 38 minutes on Tuesday. In women’s doubles, the pair of Teresa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also defeated Lu Yen Yuan and Valerie Siew of Malaysia 21-11, 21-13 in 37 minutes. In women’s doubles, another pair, Ashwini Bhatt and Shikha Gautam, also advanced to the second round by defeating the Italian pair of Martina Corsini and Judith Maier 21-8, 21-14. In the mixed doubles, however, Ishan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Christo suffered a 14-21, 17-21 loss to 14th-seeded Supak Jomkoh and Sopisara Pavasamparan of Thailand. In the men’s doubles, Indian pair Krishnaprasad Garga and Vishnuvardhan Goudepanjala lost to French pair Fabian Delerio and William Villager 14-21, 18-21. –IANS