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Sindhu, Srikanth and Jayaram crash out of the Super Series event
It turned out to be a disastrous day for Indian shuttlers at the Hong Kong Open as P V Sindhu, K Srikanth and Ajay Jayaram crashed out of the $ 350,000 Super Series event in the opening round, in Hong Kong, on Wednesday.
In the absence of World No 2 Saina Nehwal, the onus was on Sindhu and Srikanth to lead the Indian charge but the duo couldn't cross the opening hurdle.
Up against top seed and world champion Carolina Marin, Sindhu capitulated 17-21, 9-21 to the Spaniard in a women's singles match that lasted round 35 minutes.
Srikanth, who had reached the semifinals of the event last year, suffered his fifth defeat to Tian Houwei of China after his gruelling fight ended with a narrow 16-21, 21-15, 22-24 loss to the World No 10 Chinese in a men's singles match that lasted one hour and 13 minutes.
Ajay Jayaram, who had reached the finals of Korea Open Super Series and won the Dutch Open Grand Prix twice, was no match for the top seed as he lost 17-21, 12-21 to the two-time world champion and London Olympics bronze-medallist Chen Long in another men's singles match.
In women's doubles, 2010 Commonwealth Games champions Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa lost 12-21, 15-21 to eighth-seeded Korean pair of Jung Kyung Eun and Shin Seung Chan in their tournament-opener.