Badminton: Ashmita, Malvika out of Japan Open

Yokohama: Indian shuttlers Ashmita Chaliha and Malvika Bansod bowed out with opening-round losses in the women's singles competition at the Japan Open here on Tuesday.

While Ashmita lost 16-21 12-21 to top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, Malvika was shown the door by Ukraine Polina Buhrova 21-23 19-21.

Later, Aakarshi Kashyap encountered the same fate as her compatriots as she also crashed out in the opening round of the women's singles competition of the BWF World Tour Super 750 event.

Aakarshi lost 13-21 12-21 against Korea's Kim Ga Eun.

In mixed doubles, the Indian pair of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also made a first-round exit, going down to the Indonesian combination of Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati 10-21 18-21.

None of the Indian shuttlers, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, are playing in this event.