India’s two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu bowed out of the Hong Kong Open Super 500 tournament after a hard-fought three-game loss to Denmark’s Line Christophersen.
The match, which lasted just under an hour, ended 21-15, 16-21, 19-21 in favor of the unseeded Dane, marking her first win over Sindhu in six meetings.
Sindhu had shown signs of resurgence after early-season setbacks, including a quarterfinal run at the BWF World Championships. She started strong, taking the first game convincingly, but lost momentum in the second and couldn’t hold off Christophersen in a tense decider.
Meanwhile, India’s men’s singles players delivered impressive performances. H.S. Prannoy stunned World No. 14 Lu Guang Zu of China 21-17, 21-14, while Lakshya Sen edged past his opponent in a gritty three-game battle. Kiran George also cruised past Singapore’s Jason Teh in straight games.
In doubles, the Panda sisters and the mixed pair of Dhruv Kapil and Tanisha Crasto suffered early exits. Ayush Shetty and the top men’s doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty remain in contention.
India’s hopes now rest on its advancing singles players as the tournament heads into the pre-quarterfinals.
