Sindhu struggles while Srikanth and Prannoy have it easy

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Tokyo, September 12: Indians had a mixed day as Asian Games silver medallist PV Sindhu had to toil hard even as Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy scored easy victories to progress to the second round of their respective events at the Japan Open badminton.

Third seed Sindhu had to sweat it out for 53 minutes before prevailing 21-17, 7-21, 21-13 over unseeded local girl Sayaka Takahashi in her opening round.

Sindhu will next play China's Fangjie Gao, who defeated J Vaishnavi Reddy 21-10, 21-8.

In the men's singles first round, Prannoy defeated Jonathan Christie of Indonesia 21-18, 21-17.

Srikanth too had it easy, after getting the better of China's Yuxiang Huang 21-13, 21-15.

Lee Dong Keun of Korea put it across Sameer Verma 21-18, 20-22, 21-10 in another men's singles opening-round encounter.

Indian results (first round):

Men's singles: H.S. Prannoy bt Jonathan Christie (Ina) 21-18, 21-17; K. Srikanth bt Yuxiang Huang (Chn) 21-13, 21-15; Lee Dong Keun (Kor) bt Sameer Verma 21-18, 20-22, 21-10.

Women's singles: P.V. Sindhu bt Sayaka Takahashi (Jap) 21-17, 7-21, 21-13. Mixed doubles: Pranaav Jerry Chopra & N. Sikki Reddy bt Mathew Fogarty & Isabel Zhong (Mas) 21-9, 21-6; Yilyu Wang & Dongping Huang (Chn) bt R. Satwiksairak & Ashwini Ponappa 21-13, 21-17.