Top seed P V Sindhu led the charge as Indian shuttlers made short work of their respective rivals to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the singles competition in the Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday.
Sindhu, who sat out of the team event because of an ankle injury, took just 18 minutes to oust Fiji's Andra Whiteside 21-6, 21-3 in her first match of the competition.
"It has been pretty easy today. I hope that it continues tomorrow. I am better and totally fine, so it is really exciting," she said and thanked the crowd for making her feel at home with their vociferous support.
Second seed Saina Nehwal, despite being weary due to playing the entire team event, also took a mere 18 minutes to dispatch Elsie de Villiers of South Africa 21-3, 21-1 in the round of 32 at the Carrara Sport and Leisure Centre.
"It has been a long week. I just want to be focused and enjoy the tournament. The plus point is I have been playing on this court. When you play somewhere for a week or two you get used to the conditions, so I think that is what happened," she said.
Ruthivika Gadde also won through, sending Ghana's Grace Atipaka out of the competition with a 21-5 21-7 triumph in 18 minutes.
In the men's draw, K Srikanth was clinical as he got past Mauritian Aatish Lubah 21-13, 21-10.
"It was a good match and a good start to the individual event. I am really happy with the way it went, and I want to keep doing it," he said.
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