BWF Super Series: PV Sindhu stretched in first round, Kidambi Srikanth loses tie

New Delhi: Shuttlers P. V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth endured contrasting luck in Round One of their BWF Super Series Finals campaign in Dubai on Wednesday.

Sindhu needed three games to beat China’s He Bingjiao in her opening match, prevailing 21-11, 16-21, 21-18 in an hour and four minute battle.

World No. 3 Sindhu won 58 of the total 108 points against the world No. 9 in a Group A match at the Hamdan Sports Complex.

Sindhu will now face Japan’s Sayaka Sato on Thursday. Srikanth, however, fell to world no.1 Viktor Axelsen in the men’s singles in a Group B clash. Srikanth lost 13-21, 17-21 in a 38-minute battle.

With four Superseries titles under his belt this year, Srikanth was expected to test Axelsen to the limit. But with the Indian struggling to get any rhythm against his formidable opponent, the task looked too tall.

The first game was swiftly surrendered and when Srikanth failed to build up an early lead in the second game, the writing was on the wall. Srikanth will next play Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen on Thursday.

In another men’s singles match, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei passed his first hurdle in Group A of the Super Series Finals, beating Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long 21-14, 21-13.

The 35-year-old player to recover and be in the best physical condition to face South Korea’s Son Wan Ho in the final match of the group stage to be played on Friday.

Chong Wei was scheduled to play Rio Olympics champion Chen Long in the second match, but the China player pulled out with a knee injury. Chong Wei has never won the Super Series Final, which has been held in Dubai since 2014, and this is the last year it will be held there.