Malaysia Masters 2018: Indian challenge ends with triple loss

The Indian challenge came to an end at the Perodua Malaysia Masters 2018 with three shuttlers suffering defeats at the season’s first BWF World Tour Super 500 event in Bukit Jalil, Malaysia on Thursday. Singapore Open Superseries winner B Sai Praneeth was the only top 20 singles player to have participated at this tournament and his campaign was halted by the top seed and World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the second round.

The Dane edged Sai in a tough first game and then ran away with the second to register a 21-17, 21-8 win in 27 minutes. The two had squared off as recently as Sunday in the final of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) 2018, where too the world champion had emerged a winner in straight games.

Indian national women’s doubles champions Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy too were beaten 15-21, 15-21 by the third seeded Danish duo of Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen.

Prajakta Sawant, who has teamed up with Malaysia’s Yogendran Krishnan in mixed doubles, was the third Indian left in the tournament. Her run too came to an end in the pre-quarter-finals as she and Krishnan went down 24-26, 12-21 to the second seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet.

Saina, Sindhu to return next week

The next tournament for the Indian contingent is the Indonesia Masters, that is scheduled to be held in Jakarta from 23-28 January. It is also classified as a BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament.

The elite Indian stars, including PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth will all be playing in it. The top Indian shuttlers had opted for a one-week rest, having competed at the PBL 2018 for the last three weeks.

With the Indonesia Masters, the India Open and the Badminton Asia Team Championships in back-to-back weeks, this was the only week possible for them to take off.