New Delhi: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was made to sweat by Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, but the Indian shuttler eventually emerged victorious in her opening match of the Badminton Asia Championships after a tough three-game battle in Ningbo, China.
Sindhu, the former world number two, is participating in her first tournament since missing the All England Championships due to the conflict in West Asia after remaining stranded in Dubai and opting out of the Swiss Open to recover.
She evidently looked rusty in her first professional match in a long time, especially in the first game, which she lost 15-21.
However, the seasoned shuttler showed her experience and pedigree with a sensational comeback, which saw her win the next games and eventually the match 15-21, 21-11, 21-19.
Sindhu holds her nerve to outlast the young Malaysian as Bansod, Tanvi, crash out
There was little to separate the two supreme athletes in a topsy-turvy and nerve-wracking decider. Both Sindhu and Ching traded blow after blow like an intense boxing bout.
In the end, experience trumped the exuberance of youth as Sindhu prevailed in a gruelling one hour seven minutes clash.
While Sindhu progressed to the Round of 16, it was curtains for India’s rising shuttlers Tanvi Sharma and Malvika Bansod.
While Bansod lost 10-21, 19-21 to Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand, Tanvi was knocked out by Letshanaa Karupathevan. The Malaysian shuttler took just 41 minutes to seal the match 21-19, 21-14.
Sen, Kidambi knocked out
In the men’s category, All England 2026 finalist and India’s spearhead in the male section, Lakshya Sen, was stunned in the opening round. Sen, who came into the tournament in fine form, lost 12-21, 19-21 to Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong.
Sen’s compatriot Kidambi Srikanth also crashed out after losing 21-18, 9-21, 11-21 to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the Round of 32.
H. S. Prannoy’s thrilling 24-22, 21-12 win over Vietnam’s top badminton player Nguyen Hai Dang was one of the few bright spots for Indian shuttlers on the second day of the continental tournament.
Earlier, India’s 20-year-old rising star Ayush Shetty stunned world No. 7 Li Shi Feng of China in his men’s singles opener.