Two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu has been knocked out of the Hong Kong Open Super 500 after a three-game defeat to unseeded Line Christophersen of Denmark. The loss, with a final score of 21-15, 16-21, 19-21, is Sindhu's first-ever loss to the 25-year-old Dane after five previous victories. The match, which lasted just under an hour, came at a time when Sindhu seemed to be finding her form again after earlier season setbacks.
The Indian shuttler started the match strongly, winning the first game after pulling away from a 14-13 lead. However, momentum shifted in the second game when Sindhu squandered a 13-12 advantage, allowing Christophersen to score five consecutive points. The decider became a tense affair, with the scores tied at 19-all, but the unseeded Dane held her nerve to take the final two points and seal the upset.
While Sindhu's tournament ended early, it was a positive day for India's men's singles players. H.S. Prannoy, ranked 34th, had a strong outing, upsetting World No. 14 Lu Guang Zu of China in straight games with a score of 21-17, 21-14. This victory marks a significant turnaround for Prannoy, who has struggled against Lu in the past.
Former World Championship medalist Lakshya Sen also advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after a hard-fought 22-20, 16-21, 21-15 victory. He will now face Prannoy in an all-Indian pre-quarterfinal clash. In addition, Kiran George, who came through the qualifying rounds, outplayed Singapore's higher-ranked Jia Heng Jason Teh in straight games, advancing to the next round with a score of 21-16, 21-11.
In doubles, the Indian contingent faced mixed results. The Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, were defeated in the women's doubles first round, while the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapil and Tanisha Crasto also lost their match. However, the top men's doubles seeds, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, secured a win on Tuesday, keeping India's hopes alive in the tournament.
