PV Sindhu's India Open Campaign Ends in First Round Upset
PV Sindhu prefers order on the badminton court. She thrives on time and rallies that develop according to her plan. On Wednesday at the India Open, Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh refused to provide any of that structure. The Vietnamese shuttler disrupted Sindhu's rhythm with constant changes in speed, shot height, and placement. This tactical shift transformed a familiar match into a distinctly uncomfortable one for the two-time Olympic medalist, ending her campaign at the IG Stadium earlier than expected.
A Tense Battle Decided by Small Margins
The day proved mixed for Indian players at the $950,000 Super 750 tournament. While Sindhu exited, compatriots Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy successfully advanced to the second round. Sindhu entered this competition with confidence, having reached the semifinals at last week's Malaysia Super 1000 event. She started strongly, edging a nail-biting opening game 22-20. However, maintaining that pressure proved difficult. Nguyen fought back to claim the next two games 21-12, 21-15, sealing the match after a grueling 68 minutes.
"I don't think it was my day," Sindhu remarked after the match. "Small mistakes in key moments become decisive." Those precise margins indeed defined the entire contest. Having lost her two previous encounters against Nguyen, Sindhu understood the critical need for a fast start. She delivered exactly that, racing to a 3-0 lead and extending it to 12-6 in the first game. Nguyen steadily chipped away, leveling the score at 19-19 and even earning a game point. A wide return from the Vietnamese player handed the initiative back to Sindhu, who capitalized with a decisive smash to take the opening game.
Nguyen's Tactical Shift Turns the Tide
Nguyen responded with greater intent in the second game. She dragged Sindhu into longer rallies and exposed lapses with subtle changes in pace. After the changeover, Nguyen opened up a significant cushion, surged to 19-11, and sealed the game with a powerful body smash. The deciding third game followed a similar script, with Nguyen maintaining control to secure the victory.
Indian Contingent Sees Mixed Results
Elsewhere in the tournament, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth faced a tough challenge. He had to dig deep to outlast fellow Indian Tharun Mannepalli. Recovering from a slow start, Srikanth prevailed 15-21, 21-6, 21-19 in their all-Indian men's singles clash. Srikanth now prepares to face BWF World Tour Finals winner Christo Popov of France in the second round.
HS Prannoy delivered a strong performance, outwitting last year's runner-up Lee Cheuk Yiu with a score of 22-20, 21-18 to advance. His next opponent will be the eighth seed and former world champion, Loh Kean Yew of Singapore.
In women's singles, Malvika Bansod secured a composed victory over Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po, winning 21-18, 21-19. World junior silver medalist Tanvi Sharma also showed great fight, pushing world number two Wang Zhi Yi to the limit before ultimately falling 20-22, 21-18, 13-21 in a closely contested match.
