A crestfallen Saina Nehwal after losing to Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin, in Guangzhou, on Thursday. (PTI)

Guangzhou: India’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal crashed out of the singles quarter final, after losing 8-21, 21-8, 19-21 to Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin, on Thursday. Aravind Bhat and mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju too bowed out of the badminton competition of the Asian Games.

Bhat lost 19-21 12-21 to world No. 6 Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in his second round encounter. Jwala and Diju lost a gruelling battle against Koreans Baekcheol Shin and Hyojung Lee in the mixed doubles event. They lost 21-17, 13-21, 16-21 against the Koreans.

After missing the team event due to an ear infection, India’s best tennis medal hope Sania Mirza breezed into the singles second round with a straight-set demolition of Hong Kong’s Chan Wing Yau Venise at the Asian Games. If she wins, Sania is likely to meet second seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, a two-time silver medallist, in the last eight at the Aoti Tennis centre.

Paramjeet Samota assured India of a medal after entering the semi-finals of super heavyweight category, while Suranjoy Singh booked a berth in the quarters of flyweight division in the boxing competition. World No. 1 Vijender Singh had also entered the quarter finals in the 75kg category and is now up against Cho Deokjin of South Korea.

Billiards singles event gold medallist Pankaj Advani scraped past Nisar Ahmed Safuddin of Qatar 4-3, while Aditya Mehta made short work of Mazen Berjaoui of Lebanon 4-0 to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s snooker singles.       

In the golf event, a spectacular second round of four under 68 by Rashid Khan brought India firmly into the medal contention in both men’s individual and team competition. The 19-year-old’s superb display that also equalled the best round for the day helped India make a big leap in the team event.

In taekwondo, Latika Bhandari and Y Shantibala Devi entered the quarters of women’s 53kg and 57kg, respectively, while P Anand and Sandeep Kundu made it to the last eight in men’s 80kg and 87kg.

There was some cheer in the swimming camp as the men’s 4x100m medley relay team qualified for the final. The men’s quartet of Rehan Poncha, Sandeep Sejwal, Virdhawal Khade and Aaron D’Souza finished sixth, clocking 3:49.38s, in the heats.

Dipika Pallikal and Joshana Chinappa began their squash competition on a good note, thrashing rivals in identical 3-0 margins to advance to the quarter finals.

Dipika scored a comfortable 3-0 (11-4 12-10 11-1) over Gu Jinyue of China in just 23 minutes, while Joshana blew away Aribado Jemyca of Philippines 11-6 11-7 11-4 in 19 minutes.

India’s campaign in table tennis came to an end, with Achanta Sharath Kamal and Anthony Amalraj bowing out in the pre-quarter finals of the men’s singles.

(PTI)