Olympic result: Jwala, Diju lose opening match

London, July 28 (IANS) Indian pair of V. Diju and Jwala Gutta could not put up a fight against Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsi and lost their mixed doubles opening group match at the London Olympics here Saturday.

The Indian pair were thrashed 16-21, 12-21 by the third seeds in 27 minutes in their Group C match being played at the Wembley Arena. This was their second consecutive loss to the Indonesian pair, after last year’s French Open.

Diju and Jwala will need to win their next two group matches to qualify for the knockouts which begin Wednesday. Only two of the four teams will qualify for the quarter-finals from each of the four groups.

The Indian World No.13 pair will next face Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark Sunday whom they have never beaten in two meetings.