Sindhu will face Number 5 Seed Han Yue in the Next Round.
India’s campaign at the Japan Open hit a bumpy start as several players crashed out of the tournament in the opening round, though PV Sindhu managed to keep the Indian flag flying with a solid victory.
Lakshya Sen’s run came to an end against Japan’s Koki Watanabe. The Indian world number 10 struggled against the local favorite and lost in straight games 16-21, 14-21. It wasn’t the start Lakshya would have wanted after some decent performances in recent weeks.
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Ayush Shetty put up a better fight but still fell short. Seeded second, Kunlavut Vitidsarn proved why he’s one of the top players in the world, edging past Ayush in a thrilling three-game affair. The Indian showed heart coming back in the second game with a 25-23 scoreline, but couldn’t close it out, losing 19-21, 25-23, 15-21.
Sindhu Shines
On the brighter side, PV Sindhu showed no signs of rust in her opening match. Playing against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, Sindhu was dominant and dispatched her opponent 21-14, 21-11 in straight games. It was a solid performance that saw her control the match from start to finish and advance to the next round.
However, in other women’s singles, Unnati Hooda’s campaign also ended quickly. The 18-year-old lost to Taiwan’s Huang Yu Hsun 16-21, 21-16, 21-15 in the women’s singles Round of 32.
Doubles Struggles
India’s doubles pairs had a tougher time at the tournament. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto ran into strong opposition from Canada’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson. The Indian pair lost 16-21, 14-21 to bow out in the opening round.
Men’s doubles proved equally challenging. Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun were up against Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan. Despite putting up a fight in the second game where they won 21-17, they couldn’t carry momentum, losing the first and third games 13-21, 7-21.
The biggest shock came when Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded third in men’s doubles, had to retire from their match against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard. Trailing 19-21 in the first game, the Indian pair decided to call it quits, likely a precautionary move given Satwik’s ongoing shoulder concerns.
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