Sindhu registers 20th win against Busanan , cruises to second round of China Masters
Shenzhen (China) (PTI): Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu continued her dominant run against Busanan Ongbamrungphan, defeating the Thai shuttler in straight games to advance to the second round of the China Masters tournament on Wednesday.
World number 19 Sindhu dispatched the higher ranked Busanan 21-17 21-19 in 50 minutes in the first round of the Super 750 event.
This was Sindhu's 20th win against the world number 11 in 21 meetings.
Both shuttlers started off the match on an even keel with Busanan taking a 14-10 lead thanks to two unforced errors by the Indian.
However, Sindhu went on a roll, winning the next nine points to take a 19-14 lead before closing the first game in her favour.
But the loss in the first game didn't deter Busanan as she started the second game strongly. Although Sindhu trailed for most part of the second game, she continued to chip away at the points deficit with her aggressive play to take the lead for the first time in the game at 18-17.
The star Indian shuttler promptly sealed the match.
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Rocket from Yemen strikes Tel Aviv, injuring 16, as Palestinians mourn 19 dead in Gaza
Tel Aviv, Dec 21: A rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people slightly injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians.
A further 14 people sustained minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before the projectile hit just before 4 am Saturday, the military said.
The Houthi rebels issued a statement on the Telegram messaging app saying they had aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target, which they did not identify.
The attack comes less than two days after a series of Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people. The Israeli strikes were in response to a Houthi attack in which a long-range missile hit an Israeli school building. The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military target in central Israel on Thursday.
The Israeli military says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and say they won't stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Israeli strikes Thursday caused “considerable damage” to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports “that will lead to the immediate and significant reduction in port capacity,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The port at Hodeida has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said both sides' attacks risk further escalation in the region and undermine UN mediation efforts.
