PV Sindhu suffered a first-round exit at the Denmark Open Super 750 on Tuesday after failing to close out her match against Germany’s Yvonne Li in Odense. The two-time Olympic medallist won the opening game but lost her way in a tense finish, going down 21-13, 23-25, 19-21 in 65 minutes at the SJF Bank Arena.
Sindhu had a chance to wrap up the match in the second game but failed to take it. Li fought back to level the contest before pulling away in the decider, handing the two-time Olympic medallist an early exit.
The result also ruled out a possible Round of 16 meeting between Sindhu and young Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma. Tanvi won her opening match and will now face Li for a place in the quarter-finals.
SINDHU LETS WIN SLIP AWAY
Sindhu was initially drawn to face world No. 1 An Se-young, but several withdrawals changed the draw, leaving her up against Li, who entered the main draw from the reserves.
The Indian made a strong start and took the opening game 21-13 with little trouble. Li, however, raised her level in the second game and made Sindhu work harder for every point.
With the score at 20-20, Sindhu had an opportunity to finish the match but could not convert it. Li kept her composure to take the next crucial points and win the game 25-23, forcing a decider.
Sindhu again looked in control in the final game, opening up a 12-7 lead at the interval. But Li fought back with six consecutive points to draw level.
The Indian responded by winning four points in a row from 15-15 to move ahead again. Just when Sindhu appeared to have done enough, Li produced another run of six consecutive points to seal a 21-19 win.
It was Li’s first victory over Sindhu in four meetings. The Indian will be disappointed to have let the match slip away after making such a promising start.
Sindhu’s exit also means there will be no all-Indian clash with Tanvi in the next round. Instead, the youngster will face Li, who will carry the confidence of her comeback win into the Round of 16.
LAKSHYA SEN SUFFERS EARLY EXIT
Lakshya Sen also crashed out in the opening round after losing 18-21, 21-13, 15-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen.
Lakshya recovered from losing the first game to take the second 21-13 and force a decider. However, world No. 6 Chou regained control in the final game to complete the win in just over an hour.
The defeat adds to a difficult run for Lakshya, who also suffered second-round exits at the 2026 Asian Games and the World Championships in New Delhi.
SRIKANTH, TANVI ADVANCE
Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma provided some relief for India, winning their opening matches to reach the Round of 16.
Srikanth beat France’s Arnaud Merkle 22-20, 21-19 in 46 minutes. The former world No. 1 had to work hard to take the opening game but held his nerve in the second to seal the win in straight games. The world No. 31 will next face seventh seed Alex Lanier.
Tanvi also had to fight for her place in the next round, beating Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 in a 72-minute contest. After dropping the second game, the young Indian held firm in the decider to secure the win.
She will now face Li in the Round of 16 as she looks to continue her run at the tournament.
– Ends
