PV Sindhu’s return to competitive badminton post-Paris Olympics ended in disappointment as she crashed out in the first round of the Arctic Open 2024 BWF Super 500 tournament in Vantaa, Finland. The Indian ace, currently ranked 16th in the world, struggled against Canada’s Michelle Li, losing 21-16, 21-10 in a 37-minute contest on Tuesday.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, made a series of unforced errors that contributed to her early exit. Facing Li, ranked 32nd in the world, Sindhu never found her rhythm, allowing her opponent to dominate. This loss marked only the fourth victory for Li over Sindhu in their 14 career meetings. Li will now face another Indian shuttler, Unnati Hooda, who advanced after a hard-fought win over Brazil’s Juliana Viana Vieira 21-16, 23-25, 21-17.
This was Sindhu’s first match under her new coaching team, comprising India’s Anoop Sridhar and South Korea’s Lee Soon Il. Sindhu recently parted ways with Indonesian coach Agus Dwi Santoso following her round of 16 exit at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The loss in Finland will likely be a setback as she adjusts to her new coaching team ahead of upcoming competitions.
Despite Sindhu’s early exit, other Indian players found success at the Arctic Open. Aakarshi Kashyap advanced to the round of 16 with a solid performance, defeating Germany’s Yvonne Li 21-19, 21-14 in a 45-minute battle.
Malvika Bansod also delivered a strong showing, upsetting world No. 23 Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei in straight sets, 21-19, 24-22. Bansod, currently ranked 37th, has been in good form following her quarter-final run at the China Masters Super 1000.
In the men’s singles, Kiran George advanced to the main draw after a nail-biting qualifying victory over France’s Lucas Calarebout, winning 21-16, 13-21, 21-19. George was originally scheduled to play against Kidambi Srikanth in the qualifiers, but Srikanth’s withdrawal led to the redraw. However, it was the end of the road for Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, who lost 21-6, 21-13 to France’s Arnaud Merkle in his men’s singles qualifying match.
India’s mixed doubles pairing of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath found success, advancing to the next round with a win over Estonia’s Mikk Ounmaa and Ramona Uprus.
Lakshya Sen, one of India’s top players, is set to begin his Arctic Open campaign on Wednesday, where he will face Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in the men’s singles. Sen has been in strong form, having reached the semi-finals at Paris 2024, and will look to continue his momentum in Finland.
