India Open: PV Sindhu takes early exit, Kidambi Srikanth rolls into second round

It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the Indian contingent at the USD 950,000 India Open Super 750. In a major upset at the IG Stadium, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu was knocked out in the opening round by Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen.

PV Sindhu knocked out of India Open

Despite coming off a strong semifinal run at the Malaysia Super 1000 and narrowly securing the first game, Sindhu was unable to maintain her momentum, eventually falling 22-20, 12-21, 15-21 in a grueling 68-minute encounter.

Kidambi Srikanth marches into second round

While Sindhu faced an early exit, other Indian shuttlers found success in hard-fought matches. Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth survived a scare against compatriot Tharun Mannepalli, recovering from a set down to clinch a 15-21, 21-6, 21-19 victory. Similarly, Malvika Bansod made a successful return from injury, showcasing impressive defensive resilience to defeat Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po in straight games.

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Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand dominate

The doubles circuit provided further reason for local fans to cheer as the pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand dominated their opening match. The duo cruised through their encounter against Thailand's Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai with a comfortable 21-15, 21-11 win, ensuring a positive start for India’s women’s doubles campaign.

Building on their recent success in defending the Syed Modi International title, the Indian duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are carrying significant momentum into their next challenge. Their victory has set up a high-stakes second-round encounter against the tournament's seventh seeds, Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min of China.

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In contrast to the success in the women’s doubles, it was a dismal day for India’s mixed doubles contingent, as three home pairs were eliminated in the opening round. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were unable to overcome the Thai duo of Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, falling in straight games. Similarly, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde fought hard in their opening set but ultimately succumbed to Germany’s Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen.

The string of exits was completed by Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh, who struggled to find their rhythm against Japan's Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara. Their defeat, marked by a particularly tough second game, finalized a difficult session for India’s mixed doubles hopefuls at the IG Stadium.