Rio-bound Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth registered straight-game victories to enter the quarter-finals in the US $750,000 Australian Open Super Series badminton tournament, in Sydney, on Thursday.
London Olympics bronze-medallist Saina trounced Malaysia's Jin Wei Goh 21-12, 21-14 in 37 minutes to set up a women’s singles quarter-final with 2013 World champion and second seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.
In the men's singles, Srikanth defeated Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro 21-19, 21-12 in 34 minutes.
The world No 13, who is returning to action after a month’s break, will meet Korean qualifier Kwang Hee Heo on Friday.
However, it was curtains for young Tanvi Lad and Sameer Verma. They suffered contrasting defeats in the pre-quarter-finals.
While Lad was beaten 18-21, 6-21 by fourth seeded Wang Yihan of China, National champion Verma went down fighting 21-11, 7-21, 19-21 to Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia.
Image: Kidambi Srikanth
Photograph: Stanley Chou/Getty Images
