In a thrilling three-game tie, the Indian doubles duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa lost o the Dutch pairing of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek 21-16 16-21 21-17 in their second Group A game on Friday.
Right from the start of the opening game, the Dutch duo showed much better coordination than Jwala and Ashwini, using the angles of the court very well. They combined fine net shots with fierce smashes to take the opening game 21-16.
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But the Indian duo seemed to have regained their mojo in the second game, as they put in a considerably improved showing. Jwala and Ashwini displayed much better coordination, with the former executing her smashes more consistently and the latter providing the much needed support at the far end. They eventually sealed the game 21-17 to take the match to a decider.
However, the mistakes from the opening game returned to haunt the Indian duo in the third game, and the Dutch duo made full use of their lack of coordination, leading 11-8 at the interval before stretching the lead to 16-11.
A late surge of points raised a few hopes for Jwala and Ashwini but it proved to be too little too late in the end as they lost the game 21-17.
This loss also means that their chances of progressing through to the Round of 16 now hang by a thread. They will need to win their third match decisively on Saturday, and also hope for other results to go in their favour, to stand any chance of advancing.
Final Scoreline: Eefje Muskens/Selena Piek beat Jwala Gutta/Ashwini Ponnappa 21-16 16-21 21-17
