Bangkok: Star India shuttler Saina Nehwal crashed out of the ongoing Thailand Open after losing to Busanan Ongbamrungphan on Thursday.
Saina got the better of Busanan in the first game, but the Thailand star came from behind to defeat the Indian shuttler 23-21, 14-21, 16-21 in the second round.
Saina had registered a comfortable win over Malaysia’s Kisona Selvaduray in the first round but wasn’t able to get over the line in a 68-minute long match on Thursday.
In another match on Thursday, Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out of the tournament after stumbling to a loss in the second round.
The pair was defeated by the Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in straight games 21-19, 21-17. Rankireddy and Shetty failed to get going from the very start and the duo was defeated in straight games.
The second-round match lasted for 34 minutes, and the Indian pair stumbled to bow out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has pulled out of the ongoing Thailand Open due to a calf muscle strain.
Kidambi was slated to lock horns against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the second round, but with the Indian shuttler pulling out, Jia has progressed ahead into the tournament.
Srikanth on Wednesday had sailed into the second round of the Thailand Open after a comfortable win over compatriot Sourabh Verma.
“Very sad to let you all know that I have been advised to pull out of Thailand Open due to a calf muscle strain. I am hoping to be fit by next week for the next round of the Thailand leg,” tweeted Srikanth. (ANI)
