2015 French Open Superseries: Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa enter second round

Gutta and Ponappa have moved into the 2nd round of Yonex French Open

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa have progressed through to the second round of French Open Superseries after defeating the Malaysian duo of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajonjai 21-15, 21-12, in a little more than half an hour.

The first game started with the Indian pair taking a 3-0 lead. The Malaysians were trying to come back but were not allowed to do so. The Indians took a healthy lead of 9-3 but were left surprised soon after. Kititharakul and Prajonjai came back strongly and tied the scores at 10-10. Then they went on to take a lead of 14-12. However, the Malaysians managed only one more point in the set after that. Gutta and Ponappa came back hard at their opponents after going behind. They went on to win the first set 21-15.

The second set was more of a one-sided affair. After some early sparring, the set was tied at 8-8. But after that, the Commonwealth games gold medalist pair started to express themselves openly. They raced on with the set and left the Malaysian duo dumbstruck. The Indian pair won the set 21-12, and hence the match with it.

Gutta and Ponappa will face the winner of the match between, Marie Batomene/ Emilie Lefel (France) and Eefje Muskens/ Selena Piek (Netherlands), in the next round.

About the author

Sankalp is a veteran European and international football writer at Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of 8 years, having previously worked for some top companies such as Wisden India and Fox Sports Asia. An engineer by qualification, Sankalp places a very high emphasis on accuracy by leaving no stone unturned in his research, and prides himself on showcasing the human aspect of the sporting world.

Sankalp has had the privilege of interviewing senior Indian cricketers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes in his experience so far. He has also covered various Indian and international matches, such as the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup when working for FOX.

Sankalp started following football after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his family. He is a die-hard Manchester United supporter, who started following the club due to David Beckham. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and favorite player is Lionel Messi, both for setting unattainable benchmarks. He considers Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 second leg comeback win in the 2016-17 UCL against Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most iconic matches ever.

Along with European football, Sankalp also follows the Indian Super League. When not writing, Sankalp enjoys traveling and watching sports.

Know More

Edited by Staff Editor