Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu began her 2025 Badminton Asia Championships campaign with a solid straight-game victory over Indonesia’s Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo on Wednesday. Sindhu, ranked 17th in the BWF World Rankings, defeated the world No. 36 by a 21-15, 21-19 scoreline in a 44-minute first-round encounter.
After an early 4-1 lead in the opening game, Sindhu faced a brief challenge as Wardoyo drew level at 9-all. However, the Indian star reasserted her dominance, pulling ahead with a series of sharp strokes to close out the first game 21-15.
The second game proved more competitive, with both players exchanging leads before Sindhu pulled ahead 15-12. The Indonesian fought back to level the scores at 19-19, but Sindhu, demonstrating her big-match temperament, won the final two points to secure the match.
This win is particularly significant for Sindhu, who was looking to bounce back from a first-round exit at the Swiss Open. She now faces a formidable challenge in the second round against Japan’s third seed Akane Yamaguchi. However, Sindhu will take confidence from her head-to-head advantage, having won 14 of their 25 previous meetings.
While Sindhu was a bright spot, it was a day of mixed fortunes for Indian shuttlers. Star men’s singles players Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy crashed out in their respective first-round matches. Lakshya, who started strong against Lee Chai-Hao of Chinese Taipei, lost 18-21, 10-21 in 35 minutes. Prannoy, meanwhile, went down fighting in a marathon 90-minute clash to China’s Lu Guang Zu 16-21, 21-12, 11-21.
In contrast, Kiran George kept India’s hopes alive in men’s singles with a convincing 21-16, 21-8 win over Kazakhstan’s Dmitry Panarin. He now faces a stern test against third seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, who advanced by defeating Malaysia’s Tze Yong Ng 21-0, 21-12.
India’s women’s singles campaign saw further setbacks as Aakarshi Kashyap, Malavika Bansod, and Anupama Upadhyaya all bowed out. Only Sindhu remains in contention from the women’s singles field.
In doubles, there were mixed results as well. While the pair of Hariharan and Ruban Kumar secured a win in men’s doubles, others, including Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy/Sai Pratheek and Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, suffered defeats.
As the tournament heads into the next round, India’s focus now rests heavily on PV Sindhu and a few remaining hopefuls to keep the tricolour flying high.
