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Saina-Sindhu clash likely at Indonesia Open
Jakarta,: World No.1 shuttler Saina Nehwal has been seeded second and faces a likely clash against compatriot P.V. Sindhu in only the second round of the women’s singles at the $800,000 Indonesia Open Superseries Premier to be held here from June 2 to 7.
Saina, who has won here in 2009, 2010 and 2012, first takes on Thai Nichaon Jindapon against whom the Indian has won all three meetings yet. World No.12 Sindhu faces Hsu Ya Ching of Chinese Taipei. If both the Hyderabadi girls win, it means a clash of the two Indian badminton queens at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Saina won the only official match played against Sindhu, winning the final in straight games to lift the India Grand Prix Gold Trophy in January 2014.
Reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China has been seeded first.
In men’s singles, World No.4 Kidambi Srikanth has been seeded No.4 and opens his campaign against Danish World No.14 Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, who has a 1-0 advantage in career meetings of the Guntur-born.
Parupalli Kashyap is also in the same half of the draw and take on Thai Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in the opener.
Pranaav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar and Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy are the two Indian pairs in men’s doubles while two-time Commonwealth Games medallists Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will lead the Indian challenge in women’s doubles.
There will be no Indian representation in mixed doubles.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.