Vietnam Open: Sikki-Kapoor pair loses in semifinals, Indian campaign ends

The unseeded Indian pair lost 16-21 14-21 to the top-seeded Indonesian combination of Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati in a 37-minute contest.

FILE PHOTO: N. Sikki Reddy, in partnership with Ashwini Ponnappa, plays a return shot during a women’s doubles match against Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan of China in the BWF World Championships in Tokyo on August 24, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP

Indian mixed doubles pairing of N Sikki Reddy and Rohan Kapoor suffered a straight-game loss in the semifinals of the Vietnam Open Super 100 badminton tournament here on Saturday.

The unseeded Indian pair lost 16-21 14-21 to the top-seeded Indonesian combination of Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati in a 37-minute contest.

The defeat brought the curtains down on India's campaign at the tournament.

Sikki and Kapoor clinched the Chhattisgarh International Challenge title, last week.

The Indonesian pair opened up an 8-4 lead early on and even though the Indian duo brought the equation down to as close as 15-16, Rehan and Lisa quelled the challenge and knocked off four straight points to pocket the opening game.

The second game also went on similar lines with Rehan and Lisa leading 12-9. Sikki and Kapoor then reduced the deficit to 14-15 but the Indonesian pair sealed the contest with six points on the trot.