Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu dug deep to secure her place in the second round of the Indonesia Open on Tuesday, overcoming a stern challenge from Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in straight games.
It was, however, a disappointing start for Kidambi Srikanth and Malvika Bansod, both of whom suffered opening-round exits in Jakarta.
Sindhu Survives
Sindhu was pushed hard throughout her women’s singles round-of-32 clash but held her nerve when it mattered most, sealing a 25-23, 21-16 victory in 51 minutes at the prestigious Super 1000 event.
The former world champion had to survive a fiercely contested opening game, with Busanan matching her shot for shot. Sindhu eventually edged ahead in the closing stages, relying on her attacking instincts
and experience to take the first game.
That breakthrough proved decisive. Carrying the momentum into the second game, the Indian gradually tightened her grip on the contest and closed out the match in straight games.
The victory keeps Sindhu’s campaign alive and potentially sets up one of the toughest assignments in women’s badminton. She is likely to face reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young in the second round.
The Korean star has been a major stumbling block for Sindhu in recent years. Last week, An defeated the Indian in the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, extending her dominance in the rivalry. Sindhu is yet to register a win against An, trailing 0-9 in their head-to-head record.
Srikanth, Malvika Crash Out
While Sindhu advanced, Srikanth’s campaign ended at the first hurdle. The former world No. 1 went down 19-21, 15-21 to Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in the men’s singles opening round.
Malvika Bansod also endured a difficult outing. The Indian shuttler was comprehensively beaten 21-12, 21-10 by seventh seed Pornpawee Chochuwong.
There was better news in men’s doubles, where the Indian pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun produced an impressive performance to defeat the higher-ranked Malaysian duo of Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong 21-18, 21-10 and move into the second round.
Indian interest in the tournament continues with Lakshya Sen, the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, as well as mixed doubles combination Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto scheduled to take the court later in the day.
(with PTI inputs)
