Badminton

PV Sindhu Suffers First-Round Exit at Arctic Open 2024

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.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Virat Kohli backs Rajat Patidar as RCB’s captain, says he is going to lead the franchise for a long time

Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar Virat Kohli has put his weight behind Rajat Patidar to shine… Read More

March 18, 2025

Shashank Singh wishes to play under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, says he is a very smart leader

Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh wants to play under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma in… Read More

March 18, 2025

Sunil Gavaskar says no player is indispensable, not even Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma after Champions Trophy win

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has hailed India’s depth after they won the Champions Trophy triumph. India… Read More

March 18, 2025

Aakash Chopra feels IPL 2025 will present an opportunity for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra believes the upcoming IPL 2025 will present an opportunity… Read More

March 18, 2025

Aakash Chopra picks promising India’s batting line-up as Rajasthan Royals’ strength for IPL 2025

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has picked India’s promising batting line-up as Rajasthan Royals’… Read More

March 18, 2025

Sourav Ganguly urges Rishabh Pant to back his defense on England tour

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly wants Rishabh Pant to change his game plan on the… Read More

March 18, 2025