Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu fought her way to a hard-fought victory in the first round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000, edging out her long-time rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in a gripping three-game battle that lasted over an hour. Sindhu’s 22-20, 21-23, 21-15 win provided her with a much-needed confidence boost after recent early exits.
However, it wasn’t all good news for the Indian contingent. Lakshya Sen put up a valiant fight against world number two Shi Yu Qi of China but ultimately fell short in a close 11-21, 22-20, 15-21 encounter. Despite a resilient comeback in the second game after trailing significantly, Sen couldn’t maintain the momentum in the decider.
HS Prannoy also bowed out of the tournament, losing in straight games 17-21, 18-21 to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.
The Sindhu-Okuhara match was a classic encounter between the two former world champions, filled with long rallies and numerous game and match points. Sindhu managed to clinch the tense first game and had match points in the second but couldn’t convert, allowing Okuhara to level the score. In the deciding game, Sindhu held her nerve and unleashed a series of winners to secure her place in the second round, improving her head-to-head record against the Japanese shuttler to 11-9. Sindhu acknowledged the importance of this win and noted the evolving nature of women’s singles badminton, emphasizing longer rallies and strong defense.
In other women’s singles matches, Malvika Bansod was forced to retire due to injury, Anupama Upadhyaya lost in straight games, and Rakshitha Ramraj also bowed out in three games. Sindhu remains the lone Indian woman in the second round, where she will face Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong.