India Open badminton: Sindhu falls at the first hurdle
PV Sindhu lost in the first round of the India Open to Thuy Linh Nguyen, marking her third straight defeat against the Vietnamese
Due to a solid show at the $1.45 million Malaysia Open last week where she reached the semi-finals, PV Sindhu was confident of her chances at the $950,000 India Open here.
At the pre-tournament press conference on Monday, the former world champion said she was injury free and fully prepared to get on with her home Open.
But two days later at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, the world No.12 suffered a first round loss at the Super 750 event, a tournament where she has done consistently well, and won nine years ago. The double Olympic medallist lost 22-20, 12-21, 15-21 to Thuy Linh Nguyen in 68 minutes. It was Sindhu’s third successive loss to the Vietnamese in five meetings.
Sindhu started well, taking the first game but lost the second as Nguyen, the world No.23, made a solid comeback. The contest was level at 12-all in the decider when Nguyen started targeting the body, and made rapid attacks at the net which Sindhu wasn’t able to return.
Rallies were short as both players looked for quick attacks, trying to catch the other off-guard. But in the game of rapid pace, it was the 28-year-old Vietnamese who got the upper hand.
Sindhu failed to lift the shuttle to slow down the game when needed the most, a tactic she had employed in Kuala Lumpur last week.
“She has good strokes. She has nothing to lose. She is tricky player, she has good skill. And it’s not about skill. There were long rallies, they were like 10, 15, 20 or 30 shots. You have to keep the tempo going and keep the shuttle in the court. Sometimes, a small mistake could prove to be the most important point. You never know,” Sindhu said after her loss.
“I definitely need to be a bit more consistent, especially when I’m giving away easy or continuous points. After losing one point I need to break that and be prepared for the next one or try to take that point. That would be the takeaway from this tournament is what I felt.”
Monkey checks in!
A monkey was seen sitting in the stands of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Arena in the morning when the crowd was less. The venue is due to host the BWF World Championships in August. Azlynna A, a member of the Malaysian contingent, put out photos and videos on Instagram, which were further circulated on social media.
Another monkey was seen in the stands of the adjacent KD Jadhav Indoor Hall that is being used as a practice arena.
Doubles world No.19 Kang Min Hyuk of South Korea posted a video on Instagram with the caption: “Free admission for animals?”
The monkeys did not disturb play or practice.
Asked how the monkeys got into the arena, Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary general Sanjay Mishra said: “BAI and the venue staff have been working at the stadium continuously for the last 20 days, and this is the first time such an incident has been observed.
“It is unfortunate. It is possible that a door may have been inadvertently left open. We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that doors remain securely closed. The stadium is surrounded by significant greenery, which is a natural part of the environment, and we continue to work closely with the authorities to maintain a safe and controlled playing atmosphere.”
