'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On her return to the international circuit following her triumph at the BWF World Tour Finals in December, PV Sindhu was severely tested by the 2012 London Olympic gold medallist Li Xuerui at the Indonesia Masters 2019 on Wednesday. Trailing 10-13 in the decider in a tight first-round contest, the Indian found her aggression and determination to stave off the challenge from the mighty Chinese.
It was indeed a wake-up call for the Indian as much as the result is sure to boost her confidence in her first tournament of the new season. Having had to work so hard in the first round, the World No. 3 will surely be ready for the tougher rounds ahead.
Sindhu has a relatively easy job in the next round as she faces former world junior champion Gregoria Mariska Tunjung who has a 0-4 losing head-to-head record against the Indian.
Nehwal too faces another rising Indonesian -- the 31st ranked Fitriani Fitriani. Even though the latter trails Saina 0-4 in their head-to-head record, Saina cannot afford to take her opponent lightly for she won the Thailand Masters at the beginning of this month.
In a battle of two top-10 shuttlers, World No. 8 Kidambi Srikanth takes on the 10th ranked Kenta Nishimoto. While the Indian won their first three encounters, Nishimoto did win their last one at the Hong Kong Open in November. If Srikanth can keep his errors at bay, he can definitely notch up his fourth win over the Japanese in five meetings.
In men's doubles, national champions Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy have a tall order against the fifth seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
Here’s all the information you need to know about the matches:
Tournament name: Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2019
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Category: Super 500
Date: Thursday, January 24, 2019
Round: Second round
Time:
Women's singles
(2) PV Sindhu vs Gregoria Mariska Tunjung at approx 12:45 pm local time or 10:15 am IST
(8) Saina Nehwal vs Fitriani Fitriani at approx 4:40 pm local time or 2:10 pm IST
Men's singles
(8) Kidambi Srikanth vs Kenta Nishimoto not before 1:45 pm local time or 11:15 am IST
Men's doubles
Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy vs (5) Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen at approx 4:40 pm local time or 2:10 pm IST
Channel: No live telecast in India
