Indian shuttler Sridhar sent packing in first round

Shuttler Anup Sridhar's Olympic campaign did not proceed beyond the first round as Shoji Sato of Japan sent the Indian packing in straight sets at the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) Gymnasium in Beijing on Monday evening.

Shuttler Anup Sridhar’s Olympic campaign did not proceed beyond the first round as Shoji Sato of Japan sent the Indian packing in straight sets at the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) Gymnasium in Beijing on Monday evening.

Fleet-footed Sato took just 37 minutes to tame Sridhar 21-13 21-17 in a lop-sided match where Sridhar looked out of sorts for major part of it.

Sato got off to a good start, racing to 6-0 and he wrapped up the game in similar fashion, winning five points on the trot.

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Sridhar put up a slightly better show in the second game, even managing to lead 9-6 at one stage. Sato, however, was quick to assert himself as he once again bagged five points in a row to go 13-10 up.

Subsequently, whenever Sridhar tried to catch up with him, Sato widened the gap. With the Japanese just one point away from a straight set win, Sridhar made a last ditch attempt and scored four consecutive points but it was too little and too late as Sato ambled to a facile win.