Calgary, June 26 (IANS) The Indian women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, men’s singles shuttlers B. Sai Praneeth and Ajay Jayaram reached the quarter-finals of the $50,000 Canada Open Grand Prix at the Markin MacPhail Centre here.
The 2011 World Championships bronze medal-winning pair of Jwala-Ashwini on Thursday overcame the Dutch combination of Samantha Barning and Iris Tabeling 16-21, 21-16, 21-17 in 47 minutes.
Jwala-Ashwini, who matched their career-best rankings at 13 on Thursday, will face Hong Kong’s Chan Kaka Tsz Ka and Yuen Sin Ying in the last-eight contest.
In the other women’s doubles quarter-final, Indian pair of Pradnya Gadre and N. Sikki Reddy, who stunned German fourth seeds of Johanna Goliszewski and Carla Nelte 21-15, 21-12, will be up against Hong Kong’s Poon Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet.
In the men’s singles pre-quarter-finals, world No.33 Sai prevailed over Sri Lankan Niluka Karunaratne 14-21, 21-15, 21-15 in 57 minutes, while world No.32 Jayaram got the better of Indonesian Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo 21-12, 17-21, 21-12 in 53 minutes.
In the next round, Sai faces a tough challenger in Malaysia’s former World No.1 Lee Chong Wei, who has a 3-0 lead in head-to-head record against the national champion from India.
Two-time Olympics silver medallist Chong Wei was taken to task by Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent before the 32-year-old registered a 21-17, 20-22, 21-10 win in an hour and seven minutes.
Jayaram will face German top seed and world No.14 Marc Zwiebler, who eased past Chinese Taepei’s Kuo Ching-Hung 21-13, 21-14.
Another Indian in this draw, world No.55 Anand Pawar exited the competition following his 13-21, 15-21 loss to chinese second seed Xue Song.
In further disappointing results for India, the men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy crashed out against Chinese Taipei’s Jhe-Huei Lee and Yang Lee 19-21, 19-21 in 33 minutes.
Woman singles shuttler Tanvi Lad suffered a tame 14-21, 13-21 defeat against Canadian third seed and world No.15 Michelle Li.
In the mixed doubles category, Kona Tarun and Sikki lost 15-21, 15-21 in 33 minutes to German top seeds Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels.
