India’s campaign at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 badminton tournament kicked off with a mix of commanding victories and early setbacks on Tuesday.
Leading the charge for the Indian contingent, World Championship bronze medalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced a disciplined performance to defeat Japanese pair Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita in straight games. The Indian duo wrapped up the 42-minute round-of-32 clash with a 21-17, 21-14 victory, displaying calm control in front of the local crowd.
Treesa and Gayatri now set their sights on a tough pre-quarterfinal match against another home combination, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun earned their spot in the next round under unexpected circumstances. Leading 11-6 in their opening game, the Indian pair were handed a passage into the round of 16 after top Malaysian duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik retired hurt just six minutes into the match. Hariharan and Arjun will await the winner of the contest between Japan’s Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi and Hong Kong China’s Kuei Chun Hung/Chun Wai Lui.
However, it was not an all-around victorious opening day for India. In the mixed doubles qualification round, Dhruv Kapila and Radhika Sharma suffered a swift exit, falling 16-21, 15-21 to the second-seeded American pair of Chen Zhi Yi and Francesca Corbett.
Attention now shifts to the men’s singles event, where two of India’s top names are slated to begin their campaigns. Eighth seed Lakshya Sen faces Chinese Taipei’s Yu Jen Chi, while veteran Kidambi Srikanth takes on Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in their respective opening-round matches.
With key victories already banked in women’s and men’s doubles, Team India will look to capitalise on the early momentum as tournament play intensifies.
