Indian badminton experienced a mixed opening day at the
The most notable setback occurred in the women's singles draw, where two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was defeated by Germany’s Yvonne Li. Despite a strong start, Sindhu could not maintain her momentum, eventually falling 21-13, 23-25, 19-21. The match, held at the SJF Bank Arena, proved to be a grueling test that lasted one hour and five minutes. Sindhu, who claimed the Japan Open Super 750 title earlier this year and reached the quarterfinals at the Arctic Open last week, was unable to overcome the lower-ranked German opponent.
Mixed Results for Indian Contingent in Odense
In the men's singles category, Lakshya Sen also faced an early exit after a competitive three-game encounter against the third seed, Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Sen pushed his opponent throughout the 63-minute match but ultimately succumbed to an 18-21, 21-13, 15-21 defeat. The loss marks a disappointing start to the tournament for the Indian shuttler.
Conversely, Kidambi Srikanth provided a boost for the Indian camp by overcoming France’s Arnaud Merkle. The 2017 Denmark Open champion demonstrated his experience to secure a straight-games victory, winning 22-20, 21-19 in 46 minutes. Srikanth is now set to face the seventh seed, Alex Lanier of France, in the upcoming pre-quarterfinals.
Tanvi Sharma also showcased resilience in her women's singles opener against Natsuki Nidaira of Japan. In a contest that spanned one hour and 12 minutes, Sharma fought hard to clinch a 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 victory. Following her progression, she is scheduled to meet Yvonne Li in the next round, setting up a clash against the player who eliminated Sindhu.
