Indians lose to Hong Kong

Saina Nehwal and Gurusaidutt won the longest rallies in the contest, but played into the hands of their Hong Kong rivals, who tired them out to win the deciding mixed doubles playoff and finish 3-2 victors, leaving India considerably worried after the opening day at the World Juniors team competition.

It boiled down to the last match of the day with India’s mixed doubles pair needing to beat Hong Kong’s Tse YS and Wing Ki Wong, and break the 2-2 deadlock in Group Y after Nehwal and the boys doubles pair of Sai Praneet-Pranav Chopra had won their respective ties. Gurusaidutt and the girls team of Sikki Reddy-PC Thulasi had gone down in theirs.

Nehwal and Gurusaidutt were expected to lift their games but Hong Kong went for broke and kept up their aggressive intent. Drawn into long rallies, the Indians came a cropper as a tiring Nehwal slackened in her responses and received a bitter dose of smashes — her own favoured weapon.

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India now need to win against both Sri Lanka and Singapore on Saturday.

Results: India beat Russia 4-1, India lost to Hong Kong 3-2 and Singapore beat Sri Lanka 4-1; Hong Kong beat Sri Lanka 5-0