Prannoy kickstarts Denmark Open with thumping win

Odense [Denmark], Oct 18 (ANI): Indian shuttler HS Prannoy kicked off his campaign at the Denmark Open Super Series Premier on a promising note as he swept aside Emil Holst in straight games to storm into the second round of the tournament here on Wednesday.

Prannoy, who made it to the quarter-finals of Japan Open before eventually losing to Shi Yuqi, posted a comfortable 21-18, 21-19 win over his Danish opponent in a clash that lasted 48 minutes.

Prannoy will now cross swords with the winner of the match between Lee Chong Wei and Pablo Abian.

In the mixed doubles event, the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa suffered a major blow as they bowed out of the tournament after going down in straight games to the Denmark team of Niclas Nohr and Sara Thygesen.

Rankiredy and Ponnappa slumped to a 19-21, 17-21 defeat against Nohr and Thygesen in a thrilling opening-round clash that lasted 39 minutes.

Meanwhile, Rankiredy also knocked out of the men's doubles event after he and his partner Chirag Shetty got stunned at the hands of Korean duo of Chung Eui Seok and Kim Dukyoung.

After comfortably winning the first game, the Indian duo failed to capitalize on the same and went on to suffer a 21-14, 18-21, 17-21 defeat against Eui Seok and Dukyoung in a clash that lasted 56 minutes.

In the women's singles event, Rio Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu and ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will begin their campaign when they take on fifth-seed Carolina Marin of Spain and China's Chen Yufei respectively later in the day. (ANI)