New Delhi: PV Sindhu showed grit and experience as she battled past Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova in the opening round of the World Championships in Paris. The former world champion won the match by 23-21, 21-6. Sindhu had to work hard in the first game, where the 19-year-old Nalbantova led 11-7 at the interval and even held two game points. Sindhu, however, held her nerve in the crucial moments, turning the contest around to clinch the opener 23-21.
Once she settled in, Sindhu stamped her authority in the second game with a dominant 21-6 win to seal her place in the second round. The 30-year-old, ranked 15th in women’s singles, remains India’s lone representative in the category. While 2025 has been a testing year for her with only a quarter-final run at the India Open to show for, this opening-round victory offers her a timely confidence boost.
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