New Delhi: Indian campaign at the 2016 Macau Open ended on Friday with the exit of Saina Newhal and B Sai Praneeth in their respective women's and singles quarterfinal match.
Newhal, top-seeded in the absence of compatriot PV Sindhu, lost to Zhang Yiman of China in straight games 21-12 21-17, in a match which lasted just 35 minutes.
The 226th ranked Chinese girl dominated the former World number one and London Olympics bronze medallist from the start and won the first game in no time.
The 26-year-old Indian tried to pose a fight back and was in control early in the second game, but soon lost the steam, conceding the match. It was Nehwal's first meeting with the 19-year-old.
This is the second successive time that Nehwal has exited a tournament in the quarter-final stage. Last week, she was denies a last four presence at the Hong Kong, losing in three grueling games to Dinar Dyah Ayustine of Indonesia, and denying fans a possible all-Indian clash, against Sindhu.
She was the only Indian women competing in the women's singles event after Hong Kong finalist China Open champion Sindhu's withdrawal at the last moment. Sindhu was also a three-time champion in Macau.
In the men's section, the last remaining Indian Sai Praneeth also lost to his Chinese opponent Zhao Jun Peng. The match lasted just 30 minutes.
Just like Nehwal's match, Praneeth's match also followed the same patterns with the 125th ranked Chinese dominatting the 37th ranked Indian for a straight games 21-19, 21-9 defeat.
In their first ever meeting the 24-year-old Indian gifted the first game to his opponent after engaging in an intese fight for each point.
But the second game proved to a total disaster for Praneeth as the 20-year Chinese shuttler consolidated from a 3-0 lead to win it 21-9.
