Arundhati clears 1st hurdle at Swiss Open qualifiers

India's Arundhati Pantawane made a winning start in the qualifying round of the Women's singles event at the Swiss Open Badminton Championship while compatriot Tanvi Lad made an early exit.

The talented Pantawane beat her Chinese Taipei opponent Ya Lan Chang 21-16, 21-15 in only 26 minutes. She will meet Sun Yu of China in the second qualifying round.

While Pantawane advanced to the next round, another young girl Tanvi Lad bowed out as she lost to Japan's Shizuka Uchida 15-21, 10-21 in 31 minutes.

In the match between Pantawane and Chang, the Indian girl dominated the show as she hit 17 smash winners compared to her opponent's 6.

The first game was played on an even keel till 14-14 after which Pantawane won four consecutive points to get a 18-14 lead which turned out to be decisive in the end. At 20-16, she closed the game on her first game point.

Pantawane and Chang had a close fight till 12-12 in the second game after which, the Indian girl got five consecutive points to go ahead by 17-12. There was no looking back after that. Down 14-20, Chang saved a match point but the Indian won on the second point.

Young P C Thulasi went down fighting to Germany's Olga Konon in the women's singles qualifiers.

Thulasi lost 19-21, 21-17, 21-16 in a close encounter to bow out of the Swiss Open in a match that lasted 59 minutes.

Thulasi started well grabbed a 7-2 lead in the opening set. Olga fought back and tied the set at 10-10, but the 22-year-old India kept her composure to take first round 21-19.

However, Olga came back strongly to win the second set 21-17 and take the match into the final set.

The German dominated the final set as she hit 10 net winners as compared to Thulasi's three to seal the match 21-16.

In the men's doubles, Indian pair of Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy B moved to the next round after beating Yen Jui Lin and Chih Hao Wang of China 13-21, 21-10, 18-21.

They will take on pairing of Bin Shen Tan of Malaysia and Robert Blair of Scotland later on Tuesday.