PV Sindhu Defeated by Unseeded Danish Player in Hong Kong Open
Sindhu loses to Christophersen in Hong Kong Open thriller.
India’s badminton star and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu suffered a shocking defeat at the Hong Kong Open Super 500, falling to unseeded Danish player Line Christophersen in a gripping three-game battle on Wednesday. The round-of-32 match ended with a scoreline of 21-15, 16-21, 19-21, marking Sindhu’s first loss to the 25-year-old Dane in their six encounters. The defeat, which unfolded in under an hour, halted Sindhu’s promising resurgence after reaching the BWF World Championships quarterfinals last month, following earlier setbacks at the Swiss Open and Japan Open.
Sindhu started strong, seizing a 3-1 lead in the first game and dominating the latter stages to clinch it 21-15 after pulling ahead at 14-13. However, the second game saw her momentum falter as unforced errors crept in. Leading 13-12, Sindhu conceded five consecutive points, allowing Christophersen to level the match at 21-16. The decider was a nail-biting affair, with both players locked in a tense battle until 19-19, before Christophersen’s composure secured the final two points to seal the upset.
The day proved challenging for other Indian players as well. In women’s doubles, sisters Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda were outclassed 17-21, 9-21 by Hong Kong’s Oi Ki Vanessa Pang and Sum Yau Wong in just 28 minutes. Similarly, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapil and Tanisha Crasto fell 16-21, 11-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Cheng Kuan and Hsu Yin-Hui in 31 minutes. Meanwhile, world No. 31 Ayush Shetty is set to face Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the men’s singles round of 32 later today.
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The lone bright spot for India came on Tuesday, with top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty securing a hard-fought victory over Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in their opening round. As Sindhu’s early exit sends shockwaves through the Indian camp, fans are hopeful for a stronger showing from the remaining players in this prestigious tournament.
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