Odense [Denmark], October 17 (ANI): India faced significant setbacks at the Denmark Open. In the men’s singles Round of 32, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran lost a hard-fought match against Chinese Taipei’s SU Li Yang.
SU claimed the first set 21-15, but Sathish fought back to win the second set 21-17. However, SU ultimately triumphed in the decisive third set, winning 22-20 on Wednesday.
In the women’s doubles, the Indian duo of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly faced Malaysia’s Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan. Gopichand and Jolly took the first game 21-19, but couldn’t maintain their momentum, losing the next two games 17-21, 15-21 in the Round of 32.
Earlier, Indian shuttler PV Sindhu advanced to the second round of the Denmark Open after her opponent, Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei, retired in the first round on Tuesday.
Sindhu dominated her opponent throughout the match. The two-time Olympic medallist comfortably won the first set 21-8. In the second set, Sindhu was leading 13-7 when her opponent retired from the game due to a knee injury.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lakshya Sen’s campaign at the Denmark Open ended in disappointment, as he was defeated by China’s Lu Guangzu in the opening round. Sen, who had high expectations for a strong performance, was unable to maintain his early momentum, ultimately losing 21-12, 19-21, 14-21.
The Indian shuttler started well, taking the first game 21-12 with aggressive play and sharp smashes, keeping Lu on the defensive and suggesting a straightforward win for Sen.Sen carried his dominance into the second game, building a commanding 16-11 lead. However, a sudden shift in momentum allowed Lu to stage a comeback. The Chinese player showed remarkable resilience, narrowing the gap and eventually winning the second game 21-19.
In the deciding game, Sen struggled to regain control as Lu maintained his confidence. Despite Sen’s efforts, Lu’s consistent and strategic play secured him a 21-14 win in the third game. This defeat marks another early exit for Sen, following his disappointing performance at the Arctic Open.
In the women’s singles, Malvika Bansod was defeated by Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-13, 21-12 in the Round of 32. Bansod, who reached the quarterfinals of the China Open, a BWF Super 1000 event, was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals of the Arctic Open. (ANI)
