Indonesia Open: Sindhu goes past Okuhara, Sen crashes out

Jakarta, June 3 (IANS) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu fought her way into the second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament while Lakshya Sen made an early exit after a hard-fought loss in the opening round on Tuesday.

Sindhu edged past her long-time rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in a thrilling one-hour and 19-minute women’s singles match, winning 22-20, 21-23, 21-15.

Sindhu and Okuhara were locked in a hard-fought battle marked by unforced errors and multiple game and match points. In the opening game, the Indian shuttler displayed nerves of steel, saving a game point and firing timely attacking shots to edge it 22-20.

The second game saw Sindhu take a narrow early lead before trailing 7-11 at the interval. She rallied back strongly and earned two match points with a powerful cross-court smash. But repeated errors allowed Okuhara to draw level at 20-all and the Japanese shuttler eventually took the game 23-21.

In the deciding game, both players adopt a cautious approach, avoiding unnecessary risks. Sindhu led 11-9 at the break and then found her rhythm, stringing together a series of winners to race ahead 20-12. She earned eight match points and converted the fifth to seal the victory and advance to the round of 16.

After the match, Sindhu remembered her past meetings with Okuhara in 14 years and the bond they share off the court. "14 years. 20 matches. From my longest to the shortest World Championship finals — always with her. We’ve shared wins, losses, and a rivalry only we understand. Keep fighting, Nozomi. The court’s never quite the same without you," she wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist Sen put up a spirited fight against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China but eventually went down 11-21, 22-20, 15-21 in a tightly contested first-round men’s singles match that lasted one hour and five minutes.

The 23-year-old made a strong return from a back injury that had sidelined him from last week’s tournament in Malaysia, showing commendable grit despite the defeat. Down 11-17 in the second game, he staged a determined fightback, saving a match point and eventually snatching the game 22-20 to force a decider. However, the momentum didn’t last, as world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi regained control in the third game to close out the match.

In other matches, Anupama Upadhyaya bowed out following a straight-games defeat to South Korea's Kim Ga Eun.

Later in the day, HS Prannoy and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are scheduled to take the court.

--IANS

ab/bc