Jwala, Ashwini crash out

India’s women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa on Thursday crashed out of the Bitburger Open Grand Prix Gold after suffering a straight-game 15-21, 16-21 defeat against the Malaysian pair of Hui Ern Ng and Hui Lin Ng in the second round in Saarbrucken, Germany.

In the opening round, the pair of Jwala-Ashwini had brushed aside the challenge of Germany’s Anika Dorr and Annika Horbach 21-14, 21-11.

In the men’s singles competition, Anand Pawar let go a one game advantage to lose against Ireland’s Scott Ivans 16-21 21-17 21-6. It was curtains for PC Thulasi in the women’s section when the Indian lost to sixth seed Sashina Vignes Waran of France 21-18 14-21 14-21. Earlier, the mixed doubles pair of Ashwini and Tarun Kona matched their opponents, Sweden’s Nico Ruponen and Amanda Hogstrom, in smash and net play but eventually lost 15-21, 21-19, 17-21.

Indian girls advance

Junior national champion Ruthvika Shivani and Rituparna Das kept India’s medal hopes alive in the BWF World junior badminton championship with contrasting victories in the girls’ singles third round in Bangkok on Thursday.  Ruthvika had to quell a fighting Maria Mitsova of Bulgaria 21-16 18-21 21-13 while Rituparna managed to pack off Hong Kong’s Wing Yung Ng 21-13 22-20 in just 25 minutes.