PV Sindhu defeats Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po to enter pre-quarterfinals of Denmark Open 2024
PV Sindhu, a former world champion, defeated Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei in the opening round of the Denmark Open 2024 badminton women’s singles on Tuesday in Odense.
Sindhu, ranked 18th in the world, won the first game 21-8 and was up 12-7 in the second when her 29th-ranked opponent withdrew due to an injury.
This was Sindhu’s fifth win over Pai Yu Po in seven meetings. Pai Yu Po defeated the Indian the last time they faced at the Korea Open last year.
Also read: Denmark Open Badminton: PV Sindhu faces Pai Yu Po in the first round
Sindhu, who was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals of the Arctic Open last week, will face Paris 2024 Olympics bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Sindhu was the only Indian badminton player who won her match at the Denmark Open, a BWF Super 750 tournament, on Tuesday. All the other Indian players including Lakshya Sen, Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap, and the women’s doubles duo Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda, lost their matches.
Lakshya Sen bows out after first round defeat
World No. 17 Lakshya Sen was up by one game and was leading in the second game by 16-11 in the men’s singles round of 32 match against Lu Guang Zu of the People’s Republic of China. However, Guang Zu, ranked 18th in badminton, rallied to defeat Sen 12-21, 21-19, 21-14 in 70 minutes.
The Indian shuttler started the match strongly, winning the first game 21-12. His aggressive play and sharp smashes had Lu on the defense, implying Sen was on track for a simple victory.
Also read: Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-Chen wins BWF Arctic Open 2024
Sen maintained his control in the second game, establishing a commanding 16-11 lead. However, an unexpected shift in momentum enabled Lu to make a comeback. The Chinese player had great resilience, closing the gap and eventually winning the second game 21-19.
In the women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap lost to Thailand’s seventh-seeded Supanida Katethong 21-13, 21-12 while Malvika Bansod went down to Vietnam’s Nguyen Thùy Linh 21-13, 21-12.
Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda lost to Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ching Hui/Yang Ching Tun 21-18, 24-22 in the women’s doubles.
