Badminton

PV Sindhu Suffers First-Round Exit at Arctic Open 2024

PV Sindhu’s return to competitive badminton post-Paris Olympics ended in disappointment as she crashed out in the first round of the Arctic Open 2024 BWF Super 500 tournament in Vantaa, Finland. The Indian ace, currently ranked 16th in the world, struggled against Canada’s Michelle Li, losing 21-16, 21-10 in a 37-minute contest on Tuesday.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, made a series of unforced errors that contributed to her early exit. Facing Li, ranked 32nd in the world, Sindhu never found her rhythm, allowing her opponent to dominate. This loss marked only the fourth victory for Li over Sindhu in their 14 career meetings. Li will now face another Indian shuttler, Unnati Hooda, who advanced after a hard-fought win over Brazil’s Juliana Viana Vieira 21-16, 23-25, 21-17.

This was Sindhu’s first match under her new coaching team, comprising India’s Anoop Sridhar and South Korea’s Lee Soon Il. Sindhu recently parted ways with Indonesian coach Agus Dwi Santoso following her round of 16 exit at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The loss in Finland will likely be a setback as she adjusts to her new coaching team ahead of upcoming competitions.

Despite Sindhu’s early exit, other Indian players found success at the Arctic Open. Aakarshi Kashyap advanced to the round of 16 with a solid performance, defeating Germany’s Yvonne Li 21-19, 21-14 in a 45-minute battle. 

Malvika Bansod also delivered a strong showing, upsetting world No. 23 Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei in straight sets, 21-19, 24-22. Bansod, currently ranked 37th, has been in good form following her quarter-final run at the China Masters Super 1000.

In the men’s singles, Kiran George advanced to the main draw after a nail-biting qualifying victory over France’s Lucas Calarebout, winning 21-16, 13-21, 21-19. George was originally scheduled to play against Kidambi Srikanth in the qualifiers, but Srikanth’s withdrawal led to the redraw. However, it was the end of the road for Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, who lost 21-6, 21-13 to France’s Arnaud Merkle in his men’s singles qualifying match.

India’s mixed doubles pairing of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath found success, advancing to the next round with a win over Estonia’s Mikk Ounmaa and Ramona Uprus.

Lakshya Sen, one of India’s top players, is set to begin his Arctic Open campaign on Wednesday, where he will face Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in the men’s singles. Sen has been in strong form, having reached the semi-finals at Paris 2024, and will look to continue his momentum in Finland.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

India’s Junior Men Clinch Bronze with Gritty 2-1 Win Over Australia in Four Nations Tournament

The Indian junior men’s hockey team wrapped up their campaign at the Four Nations Tournament… Read More

June 26, 2025

Suryakumar Yadav Undergoes Successful Sports Hernia Surgery, Eyes Return for Bangladesh Tour

India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has successfully undergone surgery for a sports hernia in his… Read More

June 26, 2025

Golden Glove Winner Jaspreet Singh Joins Bengaluru FC in Key Summer Move

Bengaluru FC have taken a decisive step toward rebuilding their squad by signing goalkeeper Jaspreet… Read More

June 26, 2025

Ravi Shastri says opening Test loss against England is a tough pill to swallow for India

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes the opening Test loss against England is a… Read More

June 26, 2025

Varun Aaron says England batters’ approach made Jasprit Bumrah desperate for wickets in 2nd innings of 1st Test

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron believes England batters were able to find a way… Read More

June 26, 2025

Varun Aaron says Karun Nair will be disappointed with his opening Test performance against England

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron believes Karun Nair will be disappointed after he failed… Read More

June 26, 2025