Shuttler Kashyap fails to qualify for Japan Open

Tokyo:  Indian singles shuttler Parupalli Kashyap failed to qualify for the Japan Open Superseries, starting here on Wednesday, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy advanced to the main draws in both the men’s and mixed double categories, partnering Chirag Shetty and Ashwini Ponappa here on Tuesday.
Kashyap first got past Denmark’s Emil Holst 21-15, 21-14 but lost to Japanese Yu Igarashi 11-21, 21-18, 14-21 in an hour and five minutes in the second qualifying match.
Satwik played a total of four matches to qualify for two categories. He and Ashwini defeated Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito 21-13, 21-15 before thrashing another home pair of Hiroki Okamura and Naru Shinoya 21-18, 21-9.
In the men’s doubles qualifying matches, Satwik partnered Chirag as the teenage pair defeated Japan’s Hirokatsu Hashimoto and Hiroyuki Saeki 14-21, 22-20, 21-18 before edging past Keiichiro Matsui and Yoshinori Takeuchi 21-18, 21-12.
The mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N. Sikki Reddy moved into the second round as they defeated Japanese Tomoya Takashina and Rie Etoh 21-19, 17-21, 21-15.
On Wednesday, Olympic medallists P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will begin their campaigns against Japanese Minatsu Mitani and Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong respectively.
While Sindhu is coming off with a title win in the Korea Open on Sunday, Saina’s previous tournament was the World Championships in the last week of August in Glasgow where the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist bagged the third place on the podium.
Men’s singles shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth, H.S. Prannoy, B. Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma will also be in action on Wednesday.(IANS)