Indonesia Open: Sindhu Advances, Sen Exits After Tough Battle

Jakarta: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu powered into the second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament, while Lakshya Sen made an early exit after a valiant effort in his opening match on Tuesday.

Sindhu overcame long-time rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in a thrilling women’s singles clash that lasted one hour and 19 minutes, securing a 22-20, 21-23, 21-15 victory.

The match was intense, with both players battling hard and exchanging momentum throughout. In the first game, Sindhu held her nerve, saving a game point and striking at the right moments to edge out Okuhara 22-20.

In the second game, Sindhu took an early lead but fell behind 7-11 at the mid-game break. She fought back and earned two match points with a fierce cross-court smash. However, unforced errors allowed Okuhara to level at 20-all, and the Japanese player eventually claimed the game 23-21.

In the decider, both players were cautious initially, avoiding risky shots. Sindhu led 11-9 at the interval, then shifted gears and unleashed a flurry of winners to surge ahead 20-12. She converted her fifth match point to seal the win and book her place in the round of 16.

After the match, Sindhu reflected on her long-standing rivalry with Okuhara, posting on X:
“14 years. 20 matches. From my longest to the shortest World Championship finals — always with her. We’ve shared wins, losses, and a rivalry only we understand. Keep fighting, Nozomi. The court’s never quite the same without you.”

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, put up a strong fight against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China but lost 11-21, 22-20, 15-21 in a gripping first-round encounter that lasted 65 minutes.

Returning from a back injury that forced him to miss last week’s Malaysian tournament, Sen showed great determination. He trailed 11-17 in the second game but mounted an impressive comeback, saving a match point and snatching the game 22-20. However, Shi regained control in the third game to secure the win.

In other results, Anupama Upadhyaya was knocked out in straight games by South Korea’s Kim Ga Eun.

Later in the day, India’s HS Prannoy and the men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are scheduled to play their opening matches.

With inputs from IANS