After a brutal loss against India earlier in the day, Sri Lanka faced more misery against Scotland as they lost their second tie in the group stage this evening 4-1.
India thrash Sri Lanka to kick off the Commonwealth Games
Thilini Hendahewa and Sachin Dias pulled their fair share of weight in the Mixed Doubles event recording the first win for Sri Lanka in the 2018 Gold Coast Games. Going up against Alexander Dunn and Eleanor O’Donnell for a grueling three setter in the opening game of the tie, Hendahewa and Dias pulled through a victory after 62 minutes on court. Sri Lanka won the 1st set 21/17 only to have the Scottish pair tie things at 21/16 in the second. The third and final set wrapped up in 29 minutes with the winning score going up to 27. (Scotland 25)
Hendahewa and Dias’ efforts were in vain with Sri Lanka losing the next three matches in the Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles as well as the Men’s Doubles rather tamely. Niluka Karunaratne went down to Kieran Merrilees in the Men’s Singles, 21/14, 21/17. Hasini Ambalangoda played her first match at this year’s Games taking on the Women’s Singles. Kirsty Gilmour thumped all over the Lankan sparing only 9 points in total – 21/4, 21/5.
With Dinuka Karnuratne opting to sit out the tie, Niluka teamed up with Buwaneka Goonethilleka against Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall. At an even 21/16, 21/16 the Irish pair finished on top to take the tie at 3-1. The final doubles saw Kavidi Sirimanage and Thilina Hendahewa up against Kirsty Gilmour and Julie Macpherson. The latter was in real trouble after Sri Lanka grabbed the first set 21/18. However, their fight back in the second set to level it at 21/9 was enough morale for them to close out the third and final set 21/9.
Sri Lanka will take on the only remaining tie in their pool, Pakistan, tomorrow the 6th with hope of scoring a win here to save face before their exit in this year’s Commonwealth Games.
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