Hong Kong Open: Kidambi Srikanth advances to quarters; PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Kashyap knocked out

World champion P V Sindhu exited the USD 400,000 Hong Kong Open in the pre-quarterfinals but Kidambi Srikanth made the quarters for the first time in seven months after claiming a thrilling win in men’s singles here on Thursday. It was also curtains for H S Prannoy and Parupalli Kashyap after they suffered contrasting losses in the second round. World number 6 Sindhu went down 18-21 21-11 16-21 to world number 18 Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in 69 minutes to continue her recent dismal run in international circuit. It was Sindhu’s first loss to the Thailand player in 11 meetings.

Sindhu, who claimed the World Championships gold in August, has made early exits from a series of recent tournaments in China, Korea and Denmark. Earlier, former world number 1 Srikanth, who slipped to the 13th spot in the latest BWF rankings this week, emerged as the only Indian survivor after notching up a 21-11, 15-21, 21-19 win over compatriot Sourabh Verma in the men’s singles second round.

Srikanth had last reached the quarter-finals at the Singapore Open in April. The Guntur shuttler, who received a first-round bye from world number 1 Kento Momota of Japan, will face Olympic champion Chen Long of China next.

Earlier, H S Prannoy suffered a 12-21, 19-21 loss to sixth seed Indonesian Jonatan Christie in the second round. Former Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap played his heart out before going down narrowly to world number 2 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 21-12 21-23 10-21 in a match that lasted exactly an hour.

In other results, fourth seeded Japanese pair of Arisa Higashino and Yuta Watanabe the beat Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa 21-19 21-12 in 42 minutes in the mixed doubles.