PV Sindhu kept India’s challenge alive in the Denmark Open 2024 with a remarkable comeback win over China’s Han Yue, securing her spot in the women’s singles quarter-finals on October 17 at the Arena Fyn in Odense, Denmark. This victory is particularly significant for Sindhu, as it marks her first win over a top-10 player since defeating Han in the Malaysia Masters final in May.
In the second-round match, Sindhu, a former world champion and currently ranked No. 18, dropped the first game but rallied to win 18-21, 21-12, 21-16 in a contest that lasted 63 minutes. Despite facing a formidable opponent in the fourth-seeded Han, Sindhu’s experience and resilience shone through as she adapted her game to secure the victory. Her head-to-head record against Han now stands at an impressive 7-1, reflecting her ability to perform under pressure.
Sindhu, who is currently training with coaches Anup Sridhar and Lee Hyun-il, is the lone Indian representative remaining in the tournament after several early exits from her compatriots. She has previously been a finalist in the Denmark Open and will next face Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, the bronze medalist from the Paris Olympics. This match will mark Sindhu's third quarter-final appearance of the year, following her participation in the French Open and the Spain Madrid Masters, in addition to her finals appearance in Malaysia on the BWF World Tour.
Earlier on October 16, India faced a disappointing day as all other competitors were eliminated. The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand dropped a match they had initially led, losing to the fifth-seeded Malaysian duo of Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan with scores of 21-19, 17-21, 15-21. In mixed doubles, Sikki Reddy and Sumeeth Reddy fought hard but were edged out by Canada’s Kevin Lee and Eliana Zhang, losing a closely contested match 22-20, 19-21, 20-22.
In men’s singles, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran had a tough outing, suffering a narrow defeat to Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei with scores of 15-21, 21-17, 20-22. Earlier, he had also lost in mixed doubles alongside Aadya Variyath. Unnati Hooda joined fellow Indians Malvika Bansod and Akarshi Kashyap in exiting the tournament after losing to Lauren Lam of the USA in the first round, with scores of 15-21, 21-13, 18-21.
The opening day of the tournament had already seen India’s top men’s singles player, Lakshya Sen, fall to China’s Lu Guang Zu in a tightly contested match, ending with scores of 21-12, 19-21, 14-21. Additionally, the Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, were eliminated in women’s doubles by the Taiwanese duo of Chang Ching-hui and Yang Ching-tun in straight games.
Sindhu’s performance in the Denmark Open stands out as a beacon of hope for Indian badminton, showcasing her skill and determination as she aims for further success in the tournament. As she prepares for her next match against Tunjung, the badminton world will be keenly watching to see if she can continue her impressive run and bring home a strong finish for India.
