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The third day of the 2023 Hong Kong Open brought with it the pre-quarterfinals of all five events and some spellbinding badminton action. Indian badminton fans were zeroed in on the women's doubles, where India had two pairs fighting for a spot in the quarterfinals.
First up on the court were World No. 18 Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. The Indians were battling seventh seeds Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Ramadhanti of Indonesia. Coming into the match, Rahayu and Ramadhanti led 1-0 head-to-head against Jolly and Gopichand.
The match got off to a slow start for the Indian duo, with their opponents rushing away with a five-to-nothing lead. Jolly and Gopichand couldn't find their rhythm at all in the first game, losing 8-21.
The second game went slightly better for the Indian pair, but the Indonesians were simply too good, clinching the win 21-14.
The second Indian pair on the court at the Hong Kong Open was Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto. The duo was battling the first seeds Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara. Ponnappa and Crasto have punched above their weight throughout the tournament, beating a higher-ranked pair in their first round.
The Indians put up a solid fight against the two-time world champions, losing the first game with a respectable score of 18-21. However, they were unable to keep the momentum going and conceded the second game 7-21.
With these two losses, India's foray at the Hong Kong Open has drawn to a close. After a disappointing show at the China Open, this has turned out to be another substandard performance for India. Fans will hope that the team can turn their fortunes around in time for the upcoming Asian Games.
2023 Hong Kong Open: Results at the end of Day 3 (Indians Only)
This is how India fared on Day 3 of the Hong Kong Open.
Women's Doubles
Round of 16
Rahayu/Ramadhanti (Indonesia) beat Jolly/Gopichand (India) 21-8, 21-14
Matsumoto/Nagahara (Japan) beat Ponnappa/Crasto (India) 21-18, 21-7
