K Srikanth beat Lee Zii Jia in Japan Open 2022

Tokyo: In Badminton, Indian player HS Prannoy went through to the men’s singles round of 16 at the Japan Open 2022 badminton tournament yesterday. HS Prannoy, the world No. 18, was leading 11-10 in the first game against Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus when the latter retired from the tie due to an apparent injury.

In the women’s doubles, the pair of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam were knocked out after they lost 21-15, 21-9 to South Koreans Baek Ha Na and Lee Yu Lim. Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen will begin his Japan Open 2022 campaign against Kenta Nishimoto today. Former



top-ranked stars Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal also begin their campaigns today, as do the pairs of MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila and Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand.

In the Japan Open, India's ace shutter Kidambi Srikanth defeated Lee Zii Jia in straight games, 22-20 and 23-21 to reach the quarterfinals. 

However, it was a setback for Lakshya Sen, who lost to Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in a tough 3-setter by 21-18, 14-21, 13-21. Saina Nehwal also went down in straight games to Akane Yamaguchi, 21-9 and 21-17 to suffer an early exit.