Denmark Open: PV Sindhu Crashes Out In First Round After Squandering Two Five-Point Leads

PV Sindhu crashed out of the Denmark Open Super 750 after suffering a 21-13, 23-25, 19-21 defeat to Germany’s Yvonne Li in a women’s singles first-round match on Tuesday. The two-time Olympic medallist squandered two five-point leads in the deciding game, allowing the lower-ranked German shuttler to register her first victory over the Indian.

The contest lasted one hour and five minutes at the SJF Bank Arena. Sindhu appeared in control at crucial stages but failed to close out the match, ending her campaign in the opening round.

Coming off a quarterfinal finish at the Arctic Open earlier this month, Sindhu was initially scheduled to face South Korean star An Se-young. However, following a draw revision, she was paired with Li instead.

Sindhu Dominates Opening Game

Sindhu began strongly, mixing delicate drop shots with powerful down-the-line smashes to put Li under pressure. She raced to an early 3-0 lead and maintained her advantage at the mid-game interval, leading 11-7.

The Indian continued to dictate the rallies and secured the opening game 21-13 after Li committed errors on the final two points, sending the shuttle wide on both occasions.

Yvonne Li Fights Back To Level Match

The second game proved more challenging for Sindhu as Li forced her to engage in longer net exchanges. The German kept pace with the Indian, with the score locked at 15-15.

Sindhu saved two game points at 18-20, producing a powerful smash before benefiting from an error by Li. The game remained closely contested at 20-20 and 23-23, but two errors from Sindhu allowed Li to take the game 25-23 and force a decider.

Sindhu Squanders Two Five-Point Leads

Sindhu looked poised to secure victory in the deciding game when she moved ahead 12-7. However, a series of unforced errors allowed Li to win five consecutive points and draw level.

The Indian regrouped after the score reached 15-15, winning four successive points to establish a 19-15 lead and move within two points of victory.

Li, however, changed her approach by blocking Sindhu’s smashes and forcing her to play more lifts and move closer to the net. The tactic proved decisive as the German won six points in a row to seal the game 21-19 and complete a remarkable comeback.

Kidambi Srikanth And Tanvi Sharma Advance

While Sindhu suffered an early exit, Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma progressed to the next round.

Former champion Srikanth, who won the Denmark Open in 2017, defeated France’s Arnaud Merkle 22-20, 21-19 in a closely fought encounter.

Young Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma also secured a hard-fought victory, overcoming Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-17, 16-21, 21-19. Tanvi will face Yvonne Li in the next round.

Lakshya Sen Also Crashes Out

India’s Lakshya Sen was another prominent casualty, losing to 36-year-old Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in three games. Sen went down 18-21, 21-13, 15-21, bringing his campaign to an end.

The results left India with mixed fortunes on the opening day, as Srikanth and Tanvi advanced while Sindhu and Sen exited the Super 750 tournament.