Vietnam Open 2018: Ajay Jayaram sets up clash with top seed; Rituparna Das enters pre-quarter-finals

Former India No. 1 men’s singles shuttler Ajay Jayaram continues his smooth run through the draw at the Yonex-Sunrise Vietnam Open 2018 as he entered the pre-quarter-finals of this Super 100 tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Wednesday. Jayaram needed just 30 minutes to prevail over Indonesia’s Gatjra Piliang Fiqihila Cupu 21-7, 21-16.

In his quest for a quarter-final berth, Jayaram faces a tough opponent in top seed and World No. 38 Ygor Coelho of Brazil.

Currently ranked 71st, Jayaram -- a former World No. 13 shuttler -- is climbing his way back to the top echelons of the sport after being sidelined for a long time due to a hamstring injury.

Coelho advanced to the third round after staving off a stern challenge from former World Junior Championships silver medallist Siril Verma. The latter took a game off the Brazilian and fought valiantly in the third game before surrendering 20-22, 21-17, 17-21 in 51 minutes.

Mithun Manjunath and Karan Jindal were the other two Indians to join Jayaram in the third round. Jindal, who has been promoted from qualifying, got a bye in the first round and then edged Georges Julien Paul of Mauritius, 9-21, 21-16, 21-16.

Manjunath accounted for Ryotaro Maruo 11-21, 21-14, 21-15 and then followed it up with a 21-19, 21-12 win over Saran Jamsri.

In women’s singles, former Indian national champion Rituparna Das pulled off a 21-13, 21-14 win over Shiori Saito of Japan. She remains the only Indian in the pre-quarter-finals after South Asian Games gold medallist Ruthvika Shivani Gadde fell 19-21, 17-21 to Yin Fun Lim in the first round.

Rising doubles star Poorvisha S Ram suffered a double whammy after losing both her women’s doubles and mixed doubles matches. She and Meghana Jakkampudi were seeded second in women’s doubles, but squandered a good start to go down 21-17, 8-21, 10-21 to Pitha Haningtyas Mentari and Virni Putri.

In mixed doubles, the sixth seeded pair of Poorvisha and Shivam Sharma succumbed to a 15-21, 16-21 defeat to Japan’s Tadayuki Urai and Rena Miyaura.