Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, H.S. Prannoy and the women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy entered the second round. Parupalli Kashyap exited in the opening round of the French Open World Superseries here on Wednesday.
Glasgow World Championship bronze medallist Saina staved off a spirited challenge from Denmark’s rising shuttler Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-14, 11-21, 21-10. It is likely to clash with Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in a revenge match.
Praneeth will face qualifier Kenta Nishimoto in his next match. The Japanese extended the woes of three-time Olympic silver medallist and current World No. 7 Lee Chong Wei by knocking out the Malaysian 21-14 21-15 in the opening round.
H.S. Prannoy got past South Korean Lee Hyun II 21-15, 21-17 in 43 minutes.
The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini and Sikki cantered past England’s Jenny Moore and Victoria Williams 21-12, 21-12 in 24 minutes.
Earlier, US Open champion Prannoy, who had reached the quarterfinals at Odense, sent packing Denmark Open finalist Korea’s 37-year-old veteran Lee Hyun Il 21-15 21-17, while Praneeth made amends for his opening round exit last week with a 21-13, 21-23, 21-19 win over Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab.
Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy and B-Sai Praneeth made through the opening day, enter the second round of USD 325,000 French-Open-Super-Series.