India beat Hong Kong at Asia Team Badminton

Alor Setar (Malaysia) Feb 6 (IANS) India rode on a strong performance by P.V. Sindhu to defeat Hong Kong 3-2 in their opening match of the Asia Team Badminton Championship on Tuesday.

The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist got India off to a positive start with a straight-games win over Yip Pui Yin in the first singles.

The 2018 India Open finalist beat off a strong fight back by Yin in the second game to carve out a comfortable 21-12 21-18 result.

Sindhu then teamed up with N. Sikki Reddy to win the second doubles contest. Sindhu and Reddy overcame a mid-match slump to beat Ng Tsz Yau and Yuen Sin Ying 21-15 15-21 21-14.

Earlier Hong Kong won two consecutive matches to take a 2-1 lead in the tie.

After Sindhu won the opening game Ng Wing Yung and Yeung Nga Ting defeated Ashwini Ponnappa and Prajakta Sawant in a tough 52-minute battle in the first doubles to help Hong Kong draw level.

The Hong Kong pair quelled a fierce challenge from Ponappa and Sawant to win 20-22 22-20 21-10.

Cheung Ying Mei then defeated Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli 21-19 18-21 22-20 to hand Hong Kong a 2-1 lead.

However after Sindhu and Reddy levelled the five-match tie at 2-2 Ruthvika Shivani Gadde staged a strong comeback to beat Yeung Sum Yee in the third singles.

Gadde lost the first game before fighting back to win 16-21 21-16 21-13 to help India clinch the tie.

India will take on formidable Japan in their second match on Thursday.

--IANS
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